Rehab
by Hopes Eyes
Summary: Rachel Roth is dangerous and dangerous doesn't mesh well with the rest of society, but what happens when she meets others just as dangerous as herself? *An alternate reality * This is reuploaded and will be continued (Sorry guys, these are my rough copies). **Updated I fixed a huge source of confusion in the story. A rough outline was accidentally uploaded to chpt 5 I replaced it.
1. Chapter 1

**REHAB CHP 1: An Introduction**

Hey guys, I'm back at it again. As you know, I recently finished Therapy Cruise and it's kind of a light, fluffy, fun story. I wanted to do a more serious spin. This is an alternate reality story because it suits the mood I'm going for. Well, here it goes, enjoy! *Oh, and I will be responding to reviews as I did with Therapy Cruise, so do review guys, k thanks.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

Tall guy, dark haired, sullen faced, next to him a woman, blonde haired, slender faced, and across from her two more guys; they were all blank pages in the back of a notebook.

"Dick Grayson." Mumbled the tall one.

In the background, a few snickers broke out. "Nice name," a snaggletoothed guy jeered. "You look it."

The guy didn't respond, just nodded, then stared out the window.

 _I shouldn't have agreed to this._ My thoughts were running at a thousand miles per hour, all of them heading for the nearest exit. Instead, my legs betrayed me, locating and claiming the nearest vacant seat.

"Hi, glad to see you. You're a little late, but that's okay. We're all introducing ourselves. Do you mind telling us about yourself?"

The man speaking to me was short and bald, unlike the tall guy, Dick Grayson.

"I'm not giving you my name without knowing yours first."

"Alright then, that's only fair." he said resting his hands on his knees in a condescending manner.

"I'm sure you're all bored of hearing about me, but I will introduce myself again for our newcomer. My name is John. I'm originally from Pennsylvania, but I recently moved here to begin a career in social work. And my special fact is that I have two daughters about your age," he chuckled, feeling quite amused, although he received a myriad of blank stares. "There, you know about me, now we'd all like to here about you."

I shifted in my seat. The padding was itchy, probably giving me a rash. John beamed as I stood, and snaggletooth was checking out my ass. It didn't really matter though. I was doing this all for my foster dad. Once he was happy I wouldn't have to come back.

I directed my attention toward the window, the same one Dick was staring out of. He averted his gaze, starring at me like an intruder. Maybe he thought that I would turn away, that eye contact would bother me, it didn't. I stared back. We both stared unflinching as I introduced myself to the group.

"My name's Rachel, Rachel Roth." I deadpanned, not batting an eyelash. I stared harder at Dick, waiting for him to pull back, he didn't so I proceeded. "I'm here because my foster Dad thinks it will be good for me, that's it." I sat back down.

My introduction appeared to appease John and he took a swig out of his Styrofoam mug before taking center stage again. I glanced at the wall, wishing he would get on with it, time was ticking too slowly.

"Okay, now that we are all introduced, I think it would be a good time for everyone to state their reason for being here, and what they hope to get out of group. After that I'll handout a new patient packet to everyone, give you all some time to fill them out, and that will conclude our first group meeting. Sorry it's a little short today, the other sessions will be longer, this is just a sort of preliminary meeting."

I felt my eyes wandering back in Dick's direction, yawning as everyone went on about themselves, he looked bored also. I must have fallen asleep with my eyes open, zoned out, ...wherever I go when I'm not paying attention; I knew I did when John tapped me on the shoulder, looking at his watch. Everyone was starring in my direction, especially Dick.

"I'm here because of my foster Dad." I mumbled.

John sighed. I could tell he wasn't satisfied with my repetitive answer by the way his left eye twitched ever so slightly. He glanced at his watch, back at me, then back at his watch again before abandoning me, setting both eyes on Dick. Now I wasn't the only one starring the guy down.

"I have a problem with sex." Dick mumbled, shrugging.

"Figures." Snaggletooth scoffed. John shushed him, prodding Dick to continue.

"What do you hope to get out of group Mr. Grayson."

The room went silent as everyone waited. Dick was still starring out the window. The silence finally broke as he coughed, clearing his throat, a slight smirk playing off the corner of his lips.

"A new bed buddy."

I was last to get paperwork, but I wasn't the last to leave. The door to John's office was cracked, and I could see Dick still in there talking to him. He came out just as my Dad was driving up in his black Caddy.

"Hey," he said, stopping me in mid stride.

"What?" I grumbled, jutting out my chin.

Instead of responding, he starred blankly at me; Only, in the way that a hungry animal vies for a piece of meat. My foster Dad came in just as he was slipping a piece of paper into my pocket. He looked pissed, but Dick walked away calmly, like he hadn't even noticed.

"What the hell did he want Rache?" Was the first greeting I got. Didn't I tell you not to talk to any of the people in there? I gotta speak to your counselor about that little punk."

My dad went on, but I wasn't interested. I watched as Dick's gray Camaro pulled out of the parking lot, speeding off.

"That bastard was doing nearly sixty! Rache, stay the hell away from him, he's dangerous."

I shook my head, breaking out of a stupor as I opened the passenger door to the Caddy. "...Isn't that what you say about me?"

My dad grew silent as he revved the engine and a tiny smirk formed across my lips. I knew that would shut him up.

"Finally!" a lanky guy, about 6' 2, exclaimed. He stood outside the double doors of _My Breakthrough Rehab and Counseling Center_ , fingering through his lime green Mohawk.

"You've gotta be shitting me, it's closed! ...Hours of operation...12pm-6pm, well, I tried." He snorted, spitting.

"You shoulda tried harder. You just missed us." John said, opening the trunk to his Kia and chucking his briefcase in.

"Isn't your name Garfield or something like that, I kept trying to figure out who was missing from my list."

"Yeah, that's me. I go by Gar though, can't stand that Garfield stuff dude."

"Make it to group on time next week Gar."

"Sure thing," he said offering his hand to John before hopping back in his white Lexus, gunning out of the parking lot.

Where to go, he thought, slamming on his breaks a little late at the stop light. "Hmmm..." He frowned, deep wrinkles forming in his forehead. There was always Terra's..., or he could go back to his dorm, or his parents place.

The light turned green, and he squeezed into the far left lane at the last minute, cutting off a few other cars. Angry honks and curses came from behind as he made a left, turning up the volume on his stereo.

"Mommies house it is!"


	2. Chapter 2

**CHP 2: Awkward Encounters**

Hey Guys, here is the second chapter. I don't really have much to say except for the fact that writing this story is keeping me entertained lol. It's going to be interesting to see where it goes, so keep checking it out.

Disclaimer- I don't own the Teen Titans

That little piece of paper Dick shoved in my pocket stayed there for the rest of the evening, until my Dad was out of sight. Slipping out of my faded denim shorts, and black muscle Tee, I retreated to bed, piece of paper in hand. Unfolding it unveiled ten digits, I figured as much.

What would happen if I called him? If we dated? Fucked? I was curious and bored. I'd decide later. Tomorrow maybe, at group.

* * *

 _The same dismal stage was set, just like yesterday, my first day at M_ _ _y Breakthrough.__ _John had us all in a circle like a bunch of kindergarteners, while he handed out stacks of paperwork. My seat of choice would have been the same from yesterday, but some gangly looking guy showed up. He wore a faded grunge style Tee and his hair was lime green, in the shape of a Mohawk. He also wore relatively large gages in his ears._

 _This guy obviously had some serious issues. His hands were fidgety and he wouldn't stop smiling. What the hell's so funny is all I could think every time I glanced in his direction. From the sour look on Dick's face I could tell he was thinking the same thing._

 _The new guy introduced himself and of course snaggletooth had a few jokes to share. "Gar, what kind of name is Gar?" he repeatedly teased._

 _"Piss off," was Gar's simple reply._

 _John hushed them both while dividing us all into partners. Lucky me, I was with the new guy. As we rearranged ourselves, I caught myself starring at Dick, who refused to acknowledge me... prick. It would be so easy to ignore him now, I thought, reaching for John's handout and passing the extras Gar's way._

 _What the hell was this? Some kind of joke? I skimmed the first few sentences of the handout._

 _"It says I'm suppose to 'introduce you to my life,' said Gar looking bemused._

 _I shared his puzzled expression, but I failed to voice my confusion. Surprisingly, Dick was the first to speak up._

 _"Um, what does this even mean?"_

 _John smiled. "It means you'll spend the next few weeks getting to know your new partner. Essentially, their life is your life."_

 _"How is this suppose to work? You want them to move in with us?" asked Gar._

 _"No," John laughed, "You' ll each give your partner a tour of your life. This includes a tour of your home, usual routine, friends, family, etc."_

 _"And what exactly is this suppose to help us learn?" I asked._

 _"The idea is that your new friend will help you understand your own challenges and limitations better. Often times we miss things about ourselves that others don't. Hopefully, your new friendships will teach you something about yourselves."_

 _Glancing around the room, I noticed everyone looked as if they were holding their breath. I threw my head back, staring up at the ceiling, counting the little dots._

 _"Guess we're gonna be best buddies... partner."_

 _I came back down to reality, noticing Gar was talking to me. Guy had this shit eating grin on his face._

* * *

 _Suddenly all I could think of was how much I hated my foster dad and that thought continued all the way into lunch._

 _There wasn't a real cafeteria or anything at M_ _ _y breakthrough.__ _Instead, we were stuck with vending machines filled with Ramen Noodles and frozen cheeseburgers._

 _It might have been my best bet to just wait for my Dad to show up, but I couldn't ignore the loud rumbling from my insides. It was drawing attention._

 _"You got a monster in there?" Gar chuckled, giving me a sly smirk as we stood in line for the vending machine. He snatched up a container of noodles, then stood beside me, waiting. I tried not to notice, snatching up a thing of noodles myself. Because he made such a point to wait for me, there was no use in avoiding him._

 _We walked side by side over to the coffee station, filling our Styrofoam noodle cups with hot water and letting our lunches rehydrate. Gar was silent, staring at his noodles, and fidgeting with his fingers. I was silent also, staring intently at Dick who sat over by the window, pretending not to stare at me._

 _It went on that way for about ten whole minutes before the awkward silence was filled with chewing._

 _I glanced up at the clock on the wall, only twenty more minutes of this place._

 _"So when are we gonna do it." Gar finally asked, still staring down at his half eaten noodle cup._

 _I frowned, slightly unnerved. "Do what?"_

 _"Didn't you hear John, he said we gotta spend time together, get to know eachother's lives and stuff."_

 _I stared back at him, blankly, watching as he took a huge bite of noodles. Looking up from his lunch, we finally made eye contact. That's when I noticed it. He had two different color eyes, one green and one blue._

 _"What are you doing today after group?" he asked._

 _I continued to stare blankly at him for two seconds until I realized he'd just asked me a question._

 _"Nothing." I replied immediately, tucking my hair behind my ear and starring down at my lunch. I took a large bite just to occupy my mouth, in hopes that would refrain from asking me anymore questions._

 _"Cool, I'll take you by my parents place tonight."_

 _"No uh, I, uh..."_

 _"It's fine, my parents aren't scary. You'll like them. Here, here's my info." He quickly scribbled some chicken scratch on a blank sheet of paper and slid it in my direction._

 _At that point, I dropped the conversation. I wanted so badly to object, but I just didn't have the energy. Gar, slurped the last bit of noodle juice, then excused himself from his seat, haphazardly tossing his trash in the garbage. I was left alone, staring, and dreading the evening that would come too quickly._

 _Usually my time was my own, I spent very little time socializing with others, but now I was being forced to give up my only sanctuary._

 _Slowly, I excused myself from the table, heading back to group. When I arrived, I noticed that everyone had already began packing up. I was last to get my things._

 _"How are you liking group Rachel? Looking forward to the assignment?"_

 _"Not particularly," I deadpanned, packing my belongings away as quickly as possible. I despised the small talk that usually accompanied two unfamiliars in a room._

 _"Don't worry too much, it may seem awkward at first, but I'm sure it will be a really rewarding experience for you. We'll be discussing our experiences for the next few weeks in group._

 _ _Fantastic,__ _I thought, hightailing it out of the room. I rushed out so abruptly that I accidentally slammed the door, but I hadn't really given it a second thought. Instead, I stared out the window hoping to see my Dad's Caddy waiting for me. Then I remembered, today was Wednesday Dad was always working late on Wednesdays, it was the only day I had to walk or take the bus._

 _Sighing, I slouched over, lugging my heavy bag full of books and papers out the front door. Just as I was walking down the steps, I noticed Dick sitting in his Camaro. We made immediate eye contact._

 _"You're not walking are you?"_

 _"Yeah, I am, why?"_

 _"Don't bother, I can take you home."_

 _I was silent. I thought about refusing, but I really didn't want to walk four miles home or spend a half hour on the bus being hit on by snaggletooth's cousins._

 _"Fine," I agreed._


	3. Chapter 3

CHP3: You're Very Unwelcome

"UnnhH! UnnnhH! UUNGH!" Desperate gasps escaped my lips each time Dick thrust in.

"Fuuuck!" He groaned, throwing his head back he thrust in violently 3 more times, before pulling out and collapsing next to me drenched.

"That was..." I deadpanned.

"Yeah..." he replied, stone faced.

"Again?"

Giving me a sidelong glance, he reached into his nightstand.

* * *

Several orgasms later, I was in front of my house, staring at the chipping stucko and the flickering porch light. No one was home, lights on in the kitchen, and in the living room, but the drive way was empty and Dad never parked in the garage. The pink streaks in the sky told me it had to be around 6:30, he'd be home soon.

I ran up the steps, rushing into the kitchen and grabbing a few slices of bread from the bag on the counter, and some turkey from the fridge. Although I figured Gar's parents would probably make something for dinner, I wasn't interested in eating at their house.

With half a sandwich dangling from my mouth, I hopped up the stairs, all the while struggling to undo my jeans.

Shoes, shirt, pants, underwear, I ripped them all off, wrinkling my nose as I got a whiff of sweat and other bodily secretions. Was there time for a shower? I glanced at my alarm clock, 6:15, I bit my lip.

Ten more minutes, and I was clean and out of the door, just as my Dad was pulling into the driveway. The window rolled down, he popped his head out.

"Where are you going?"

"The therapist, John, he gave us an assignment. We have to 'hang out' with other people from group."

"In the evening, really?"

"Yeah, it was Gar's idea." I deadpanned. "I hate hanging out with people, but since you signed me up for this..."

He quickly changed subjects, "Who the hell is Gar? Is that the felon I saw you talking to yesterday?"

"No, that one was Dick."

"All these damn boys!" He snarled "Just be home by ten and don't come back smelling like sex." With that he got out of the car, slamming the door. I didn't bother to stick around much longer. I cut straight across the lawn, thinking to myself how comical my Dad's anger would have been if I wasn't dreading the next few hours of my life. I didn't want to go to Gar's and I didn't want to meet his parents.

I glanced at the address on the paper then at the two story house in front of me. The entire house was made of granite, with a large balcony, and a tall chimney at the top. Did Gar really live here? Cautiously I made my way up the winding pathway, which was lit with strings of tiny plastic candles on each side.

I shouldn't, I thought, hesitating to knock. From the window, I could see Gar peaking out at me, that's when he came and answered the door.

"Sup." he said. He was wearing a pair of bball shorts and a gray tall T, with a sandwich hanging half way out of his mouth.

"You look like shit." I said, giving him a blank stare. It was all I could think of at the moment.

"Oh yeah," he replied, yawning. "I came straight home after group and crashed."

"I can tell."

"Great manners, this one," he mumbled stepping aside.

It was awkward standing in his house, mostly because I had no interest in being there, but even if I had, it would have still been awkward. My thoughts were my own, but I felt like he was reading them.

When I gave him my attention he bowed before me, gesturing like a butler.

From that point on I had to follow him around his entire house while he gave me the tour.

"Are you rich or something? Your house is huge."

"My foster parents are rich, I'm not. 'Sides, I stay in a dorm on campus."

"Oh yeah...that's cool." I said, nodding my head, trying to sound interested although I just wanted to go home.

With his parents large house, I expected them to have some extravagant dinner prepared, maybe lobster.

To my surprise their kitchen was absolutely empty, nothing but peanut butter and bread on the faux marble table top.

"Seriously, your parents have this huge house, this fancy kitchen, and there's nothing to eat?" I raised an eyebrow.

Gar gave me an unemotional glance and shrugged. "Yeah well... my parents don't cook much. Why you hungry?"

"No not really?"

"Cause if you are there's some food in the fridge. I think my mom made some veggie lasa-."

"I'm not hungry."

"Okay." He shrugged again, dropping the subject. "Ready to see the rest of the house?"

 _Why not?_ I thought, _not like I can get out of this assignment anyway._

Gar lead me through each room, pointing and blabbering on, in a way I kind of wished he would shut up. He reminded me of one of those people that talked when they were nervous... yeah, he acted a lot like that.

"And this is-"

"Are these blonde people your parents?" I interrupted him, grabbing a picture frame off the in table in his living room.

"Kind of..." he said, grabbing the frame from my hands and setting it back down on the table.

I could definitely sense tension in his voice so I dropped the subject.

"I think you've seen everything there is to see down here, upstairs?"

"Yeah sure." I grumbled.

I started to follow him up the stairs, but before I could he had me take my shoes off, mentioning something about his parents being anal. Shrugging, I did as instructed, marching closely behind him. Each step I took across the wood floor was obnoxiously loud and I wondered why on earth anyone would have a wooden stair-place. Wooden floors were nice, but stairs were just too much trouble. I tried to block out the annoying clicks, but the sound of Gar's voice was becoming just as irritating.

He gave a quick run through of the bathroom, his bedroom, and his parents room, but stopped in front of the game room, opening the door slowly, and peeking in. Through the small crack I could see the back of two heads sitting in a love seat in front of a large plasma screen. Gar tiptoed in slowly, beckoning to me with a hand gesture.

The people Gar introduced as his mom and Dad didn't look at all like the blondes in the picture I'd seen. For starters, neither of them were blonde.

"Rachel, parents, parents Rachel."

"Hi Rachel, are you Gar's new girlfriend?" The woman, who Gar had identified as his mother, asked.

I didn't respond because I felt her question was ridiculous. Gar rejected her statement instead.

"No mom, she's just a chick from class."

I shot Gar a dirty look and he started laughing.

"What? That IS what you are."

 _Asshole._

"Mom I'm still dating Terra."

"Damn," Commented Gar's Dad. "This one's way better looking Gar, you should think about-"

"No."

"It was just a thought..." His Dad threw up his arms, turning his attention back to the screen, and putting his arm back around his wife's shoulder.

"Mind if we hangout here for a while Rache, can I call you that?"

"No."

"K Rache," he laughed, giving me a thumbs up before plopping down in a purple bean bag by his parents.

 _Should I sit, or should I stand_ was my next thought. No one seemed to address my question so I sat on the floor beside Gar. Suddenly alert, Gar hopped out of his seat and offered it to me,

"My bad dude," he said, pulling out another green bean bag out of a nearby closet.

"I'm not a dude."

"Well you said you're not a chick, which is it?" he chuckled.

I didn't find him amusing. He tossed me the green bean bag and I sat beside him, clicking my heels together, thinking there's no place like home. I was wondering what exactly I was suppose to take away from all of this anyway. I learned that he was annoying, had a fancy house, and two sets of parents. Everything else about him seemed pretty average, except for the green hair, and mowhawk.

 _Wait, why does he even go to group?_ I asked myself. He was the only one who got out of giving a reason.

My train of thoughts were interrupted by his parents who offered to entertain us with a few games after their movie, to which, I had attempted to decline, but Gar nudged me.

"Come on," he said, "It'll be fun."

If it have been any other situation, I'd have told him to go fuck himself, but I refrained for the sake of his parents.

"Fine." I agreed.

"Hey, mom, dad, we'll be back, I want to give Rache a tour of our backyard real fast." He lead me out of the room and back down the stairs.

This was perfectly fine with me; the less social I had to be the better.

We walked out to the backyard patio, which was also rather spacious. They had one of those designer pools that I often saw in magazines or in hardware store catalogs. I remember I had always wanted a pool like that when I was a kid, but my foster Dad complained about the price.

We sat in the poolside lawn chairs under an umbrella in silence. It was so quiet, a nice change of pace. I suppose neither one of us could think of much to say since our communication was the result of a forced assignment rather than choice. After several minutes of aimless staring, I finally spoke up.

"Why do you attend group anyway?"

He avoided my eyes, fidgeting with his fingers, just like he did at group.

"I have my reasons..." he said.

"So did you sign up for this or did your parents make you."

"I'm twenty years old, my parents don't make me do anything. I need group. I have issues I need to work out."

"You have issues?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." I said, looking away.

"Okay." He replied. Then he turned and asked me the same question so I fed him the same speech I gave John the first day of group.

"So you don't have any real problems then?"

"No."

"Bullshit." He chuckled. "Everyone has problems."

"My problems are none of your business." I said.

"So you have problems now I see." He smirked.

 _Wow, he is really annoying._

It was silent for a few more minutes. I looked at the stars, the sky, anything but the guy sitting in front of me. He then asked if I was ready to go back in. I shrugged and we both headed back to the game room, where his parents had already broken out Megamonkeys themed Life and regular Monopoly. Board games, seriously? I never liked them, even as a child. My Dad always tried to talk me into card games, but I told him he'd have to motivate me with cash.

Gar laid across his bean bag chair, sitting next to his mom, while I was stuck sitting next to his dad. His Dad offered me first choice of game pieces. When I chose the car I noticed Gar's slight pout, which was mildly amusing.

His parents kept trying to make small talk with me, but I really wasn't interested. They stopped with the questions fifteen minutes into the game, apparently taking the hint.

"Well," Gar's mom smiled. "Anyone craving chocolate?"

Gar raised an eyebrow in my direction and I nodded in agreement. I was honestly in no position to refuse, board games were a definite no, but chocolate was different.

Once Gar's mom got up, I checked the clock on my phone, Gar caught me, shooting a look of irritation my way.

His mom came back and we both plastered on fake smiles.

"Uh, ya know what, I think I gotta head back to the dorm. Plus, I gotta drop Rache off."

"Oh," both his parents exclaimed, surprised.

Gar rushed me out of the game room, but his mom caught up to us, giving me two packs of S'more kits to take home.

 _Nice lady_ I thought. _I like her_.

I was expecting Gar to say something when we got in the car, tell me I was rude, complain, anything. He didn't. He just smiled and opened the passenger door to his car. All the way to my house we drove in silence.

Tree

Tree

House

Stop sign

Another Tree

I counted all the random objects I saw in my head.

"Do I make a left or right here?"

"Right."

He turned and I pulled closer toward my house. I could see my Dad peering through the window like a little rat as we pulled in.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHP 4: Rejection**

Gar was an ass at group the following Wednesday. Why, because when John asked us to summarize our experiences last week he shot up first, making a point to highlight my shitty personality. He wouldn't even talk to me, not until I confronted him.

"Why'd you tell everyone in group my personality sucks?"

"Because it does." He laughed, scarfing down the last bit of a blueberry muffin, heading out to his car. "Dude, I don't call girls bitches, but you acted like a bitch."

I barred my teeth, holding my tongue as I walked out behind him, screw him. I plopped down on a small brick ledge near the entrance. Dick would be out any second if John didn't hold him up. He usually kept him after for one reason or another. I overheard their conversation one time and he kept blabbering on about his leadership skills. I suppose he could be a leader if he wasn't so standoffish.

I watched him walk out, purposely failing to acknowledge me. Hitting the button on his keys, he hopped in the driver's seat, while I slid in the passengers. Not the bat of an eyelash in my direction, he made a damn good effort to pretend that he didn't give a fuck. I was sold. If my heart wasn't made of stone also, I might of cared... might of.

He revved the engine and I slammed the door shut when Gar drove up beside us, wearing lime green stunner shades, he stuck his head out the window and said, "Hey, Rache, I'm coming over to your house tonight."

Clearly he was delusional. From the look on his face I could tell my face read something along the lines of, who the hell do you think you are?

He flashed me a cheesy grin. "I know what your thinking," he said, "I don't want to come over, but I'm going to be busy at my dorm the rest of the week. We have to get this assignment thing over with, see ya tonight."

I responded cordially, with sign language of which he ignored, turning the bass up on his stereo, and speeding off so quickly his tires screeched and left skid marks.

"He seems... interesting." said Dick, glancing into his rear view mirror.

"Yeah." I grumbled, buckling my seat belt as we pulled out of the lot slowly. He turned the stereo up, playing some soft metal song. The whole ride was silent otherwise. I tried to put myself in the moment, but thoughts of my dad kept popping up every few seconds. I wondered what he'd say when he found out I got another university rejection letter. Every last school he forced me to apply to said no. I had a feeling they would.

I turned my attention toward the scenery as we passed by an outdoor mall and then an elementary school yard where kids were playing and screaming their heads off. I was so far out somewhere that I hardly recognized when Dick was talking to me.

"So, does your personality really suck?" he asked. I refused to respond so he dropped it, pulling into an empty shaded parking space at Vista del Mar, his apartment complex. He got out first, opening the door for me and we took the stairs, to his second floor apartment in silence.

He opened the door for me, ushering me in casually, and shutting the door softly behind me. The apartment was dark, like last time. All the blinds were shut and the lights off. It was a simple apartment, a two bedroom with plain white walls, no posters, tvs, or couches. The only real furniture was a mattress in each room, one in his room and another in his roommates.

I felt him grasp me firmly by the arms, before I had time to think, he was kissing me, pressing his body against me so hard I was stumbling backward toward his bedroom. His fingers began fiddling under my shirt. Leaning up against the bed, he yanked it off, while I undid his pants.

My hands slid into his boxers exploring, but I couldn't get the image of my dad out of my head. What would he say about my rejection letter? What about the fact that I couldn't get a job...

I gazed up at the ceiling wishing I could just fuck in peace. I just didn't want him in my head, reminding me that I'd never be able to succeed, making me feel like freak. I just wanted to fuck and forget about him.

I climbed off Dick, my eyes wandering around the room.

"What's wrong? Why'd you get off?"

"I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"Nothing."

"You wouldn't be thinking about it if it was nothing," he added, biting softly along my neck. I felt lost again in another planet when I felt his weight on top of me, his hands between my thighs, pushing them apart.

"Stop." I snapped, jerking away from him. I became quiet and my hands felt cold and numb. My hands brushed his and they felt cold also. "I should go now."

"Fine." He said, stretching. He rolled out of bed, bulging forearms rested on his bare thighs. Sitting still for a moment, he hung his head low as I eased out of the covers, searching for my underwear.

* * *

He let me out a few blocks away from my house, insisting on dropping me off closer, but I didn't want to listen to my dad.

When I started across the lawn, I noticed Gar's white car in the drive way.

"Do you know this guy Rachel?" he asked.

"Yes, unfortunately ." I responded. "We have this stupid group assignment to complete."

Gar ran his hands through his green mohawk, meeting my dad's menacing glare with a grin.

"Okay, come in, but let's try to be quick about this thing. Damn therapist is doing more harm than good, sending boys over to your house," He grumbled. "I'll be in my office."

"Nice guy, I like him."

"Shut up."

Tossing my stuff on the floor, I folded my arms, giving him a hateful glare. He only stared back, smirking.

"Let's get this thing over quickly kay, I got places to be."

"No one asked you to come over!" I growled.

"Dude, I gotta get through this group thing for uh le- for reasons. I have to so let's just put up with each other until it's all said and done then you never have to see my face again and I never have to see yours."

"Fine."

"Fine." He smirked, bouncing his eyebrows. "So come on already, get with it, give me the tour."

I growled under my breath, clenching my fists as I passed from room to room mumbling. Gar trailed behind me stopping to applaud every time I quit talking.

I put Gar out of my head long enough to remember my real problem, dad. He was bound to say something about the letter.

We stopped in front of my bedroom so I could change and I told the fucktard to wait outside and I'd be back.

He laughed as I went into the room saying, "Don't bother changing, I noticed the smell of gizz the moment you showed up, tell me, was it really that good?" in a loud and obnoxious whisper. Did he even care that my dad was in the next room, idiot.

Flipping him off and kicking the door shut, I slid off my pants and underwear pulling on some shorts and a baggy tee instead. I met him back outside, but he was gone. I noticed the light on in the bathroom and figured he was in there.

I stood out in the hall waiting, but a booming voice came out from my dad's office and I knew I was in trouble.

"Rachel!" he shouted.

I walked in as casually as possible to find him sitting at his desk with his back to me.

"Another rejection letter, were you trying to hide it from me?"

"I applied, I tried to get in, they don't want me."

"Of course not, trying doesn't erase a criminal record. Everywhere you go all anyone will ever see is your fucking felony."

He pounded a fist on the desk, knocking over a bottle of Budweiser.

"I can't take care of you anymore. I don't want to deal with a felon anymore than the rest of the world does."

"You shouldn't have adopted me."

He grew silent.

"Grow the hell up, you're nineteen now, not ten." He chucked a letter over the back of his shoulder. "That's for you."

The address read: **California State Correctional Facility**. I stared at it like it was poison. Letter in hand, I let myself out, finding Gar out in the hallway waiting. He had to of heard everything. I hated my dad. He couldn't have just saved this for another day when we didn't have company.

Gar greeted me with an innocent half smile. I waited for him to say something, but he didn't. Instead, he fidgeted with his fingers and scratched the back of his neck.

"Uh um, it's getting late and I'm getting kinda hungry, you mind-"

"Do I mind what?" I eyed him suspiciously.

"Come on," he tugged my arm, "Let's get out of here and get some grub."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHP 5: Questions**

Well what's up everyone? Here is my fifth chapter. I feel like I should probably wait and edit more, but whatever. I'll probably respond to reviews next chapter due to all the freaking studying I have to do. Honestly, could calc 2 and biophysical chem be anymore impossible. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and review.

 **Disclaimer** -I don't own the Teen Titans

The punget aroma of sizzling hamburgers and freshly dropped fries filled my nostrils as I ate my cheeseburger in silence, surrounded by the sounds of clanking silverware and gleeful chattering. Under the awful flourescent lighting Gar's skin nearly matched his ludicrous green mohawk. I stared as he toyed with his chocolate malt, carefully dipping his straw in and out. He hadn't spoke a word other than when he had placed an order. I thought he'd try to make conversation or ask about my dad since he was THAT type, but he hadn't... yet. It was only a matter of time before he was minding my business.

I tore out another healthy chunk of my cheeseburger catching a disgusted look from him.

"How can you eat that crap?" he asked.

"Easy, like this." I said taking another mouthful. " Have you not seen a cheeseburger before?"

"I don't do meat." he wrinkled his nose, taking another sip of malt. I occupied myself with chewing when the waitress came by, sitting this weird shit infront of him.

"What is that?"

"Tofu, try it."

"I'll pass."

I left the conversation to chewing and blank stares, wondering when he was going to ask. I knew he would, and he did, as soon as we made eye contact.

"You won't get mad if I ask a question right?"

"It depends."

"Guess I'll have to take my chances," he muttered shrugging. " What's the deal with your dad? And why did he call you a felon?"

I earned a few disturbed stares from a group of elderly people sitting near us.

"None of your business." I snarrled, taking a final bite. Heat rose to my face as I reached for my wallet. He grabbed my hand, then pulled out a fifteen to tip the waitress before we stepped out into the crowded parking lot, searching for his car. We found it nestled under a small tree sandwiched between a blue Jeep and red Acura.

I reached for the handle feeling anxiety wash over me. My Dad was more than likely still angry. I could always go in my room and shut the door, but I just didn't want to be there. I guess Gar read my thoughts because he froze, with a hand rested on the handle of his car he asked, "do you wanna maybe hangout a little longer? Let your dad cool off."

I was relieved that he'd offered and climbed in with only a simple nod of my head. He climbed in beside me, revving the engine and we pulled out of the lot, hitting the freeway. Blinded by the glaring lights of neighboring cars, I shielded my eyes as he darted in and out of traffic.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

He got off at exit 56, making a right past a slaughter house. Instantly, the nauseating odor of shit and blood mingled together hit me.

"My dorm," he said. "Told ya I had some stuff to take care of." Peeping over at me, he chuckled at my scrunched face.

"Smells delicious right? Wasn't it genius to build a slaughter house right next to a university? Everyone complains."

"I can imagine." I plugged my nose, flicking on the heater. We drove in silence for several minutes before my gaze drifted to Gar as I was bored of staring out the window at dirt fields. He immediately caught me peeking at him and grinned as he switched on the stereo.

"You checkin me out Rae Rae?"

I ignored him. Responding only with a hate filled glare as he burst into the chorus of Isle 10, belting out Hello Alison at the top of his lungs. By the time he'd gotten to the rap part we were pulling into the back of a tall gray building which resembled a penetentiary.

I inwardly groaned as I gazed through the windshield at hordes of college students dancing and laughing along the brightly lit sidewalk, which was littered with empty soda cans, candy wrappers, and pizza boxes.

Quickly shutting off the car, Gar called out to his friends, leaving me behind.

"Hey what up bro!" A tall kid yelled to him.

"WWHHAATUPP!" He shouted.

"Hey sexy," a petite brunette in a black pencil skirt and white halter smacked him on the ass laughing. He laughed too and all the guys began giving daps. A few girls in the group joined in while others simply giggled. I caught up to Gar, but purposely trailed behind, getting shoved by a few guys who apologized before catching up to the rest of the group.

"So what's been up man?" A stuby guy in a brown tall tee asked Gar.

"Nada, just came back to get some rest. I'm crazy tired."

"Oh yeah? What happened to the hot blonde you're always with? You were staying at her place like everynight" he laughed, ribbing Gar.

Gar laughed along, but he never responded. Instead, he grabbed me by the wrist, attempting to tug me forward until I struck his hand. He quickly recoiled, flaring his nostrils and pouting.

"BB just got bitch slapped by a chick!" The rest of the dudes laughed causing Gar's pout to elongate.

"SHUT UP." He snarled. "And don't call me BB!"

All the rest of the guys continued to laugh and then one turned to me with a doppy smile.

"What's your name?"

"Rachel" I responded calmly.

"Niiice." He responded. "Ay yo Gar, this your new girl? She's freakin hot bro."

"No, I'm not his girlfriend." I quickly spoke up, thinking how irrtating it was to be objectified.

"Excuuuse me." The guy mocked, breaking out in a fit of hysterical laughter. He casualy brushed past me blending back into the crowd of guys. "See you later man." The stuby kid said, waving to Gar.

"Yeah have fun tonight." said the guy who had mocked me. "Ay, man, when your done send her over to my room."

Gar's hoard of laughing, singing, and dancing friends disappeared into a gate leading to a second building, while we went in the gate leading to building A. As we entered the resident lobby a sly grin spread across Gar's face and he ribbed me. "Their just kidding, don't take it personal."

He hit the button on the elevator for the 7th floor. As we stepped in a crowd of girls piled infront of us. I waited until the elevator fell silent. "So your friends think you're a man whore?"

A smug expression played across my lips as I stared straight ahead visualing the mortified expression on his face. Without looking I knew he was beet red as all the girls had turned to face him. He dare not speak. The ellevator clicked slowly, finally opening at the 6th floor, where all the girls got out. They roared with laughter as the ellevator closed again.

"They weren't laughing at you BB." I said, biting back a grin.

"SHUT UP," he said flicking me with water from his dasani bottle.

"Don't take it personal," I sneered as we walked down the hall, which was again filled with people. At this point I was thinking how much I would hate living here. There was absolutely no breathing space. Everywhere you turned someone was giggling, twirking, dapping, shouting, running, etc. I'd never understand Gar's ability to stand it.

It wasn't till we were at very end of the hall before we could see why there were so many people bunched up together.

"What the fuck!" Is all I heard, then Gar took off sprinting toward his room where an officer was standing with a tall red headed girl in a towel.

"Sir, sir what are you- you can't go in there, SIR!"

The officer grabbed Gar by the wrist.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"You tell us. This young woman says she was sexually assualted by some guy named Gar."

"WHAT? You're kidding right? I was out this entire time! I don't even know her."

"So you're Gar?"

"Damn," He smacked his forehead.

Nice going genius, I thought.

We ended up at a police station near Carter and 24th, smack in the middle of two liquor stores and catty corner to a gun shop , the irony. Myself, Gar, the redhead, and a handful of college kids waited in a dimmly lit lobby.

I knew we were here for Gar and not me, but I couldn't help but feel nervous. The familiarity was burning a hole in my stomach. I caught myself fidgeting with my hands and shifting in my seat every now and then. When my phone started buzzing, I jumped, earning a stern look from a few officers standing at the reception desk. One pointed at the sign saying turn off all cell phones and electronic devices. I started to shut off my phone, but I recognized the number as my Dad's. I couldn't ignore his call, especially considering it was nearly midnight.

I stepped out into the cold, leaving Gar to fend for himself. Wasn't exactly sure if I could just walk out like that, but none of the officers said anything so I figured I was alright. Hitting redial, I shivered, clutching my elbows as I waited paitently for my Dad to answer. A few rings came before the hoarse voice of a crabby middle aged man answered.

I was hesitant to respond, but then, he didn't really give me a chance.

"So you just take off without saying where you're going?"

"I was-."

"Dammnit Rachel, you're nineteen years old and your telling me you're not smart enough to tell me where you're going before you leave! You know what time it is?"

At this point I was thinking, do I really want to tell him I'm at a police station? I was speechless yet again.

"Just get home, and don't pull this shit again."

Click.

Making sure to shut off my phone this time, I walked back in the station scanning the room. Gar was in the same chair, his finger's laced together and his mouth set in a grim line. The redhead had fallen asleep in her chair, her cheaks stained with tears and mascara. A few of the college kids were missing from the bunch, but the ones that were there looked extremely bored.

I slid back into my seat, waiting, when the other college kids stepped out of a door to the left of the lobby. They hadn't glanced in our direction or sat back down. They only stopped for a minute to pick up their belongings from the front desk and exit the main enterance.

"Alright, we'll see you three now." An averaged sized cop, with a deep tan, and dirty blonde hair beckoned to us from where the others had just redhead was startled awake, clutching her towel, she followed behind Gar. I got up last, my legs feeling as if they'd buckle under my weight. I couldn't think of anything besides how foolish Gar was for agreeing to come in for questioning. We shouldn't even be here without an attorney.

Gar walked in first, then the redhead, then me. The sound of our clicking heels was followed by a jarring door slam. Two officers faced us, both straight faced, both appearing tired and overworked.

The blonde cop sat down at his desk adjacent to us, while the other stood infront of the exit. I tried my best to avoid looking at either officer, but there was nothing else to detract my attention. From the white washed walls to the concrete flooring the place was everywhere ugly. Of all the stations I frequented as a child, this was the worst. The office was not only ugly, but frigid. Colder than outside. I curled myself into a little ball trying to forget that the chair I was sitting in felt as if it were made of nails. My stomach did a few flip flops and the stony look of the blonde cop wasn't exactly helping to quiet my nerves. There was something about that awful blanched lighting that gave him the appearance of Satan.

"So you were all out at a party tonight correct?" asked the blonde cop making a few scribbles on a sheet of paper. The redhead nodded her head yes to his question, but Gar and I remained silent.

The cop glanced up from his paperwork, deep furrows set in his forehead.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to speak up. I can't hear nodding."

"Yes." The redhead managed to squeak out, though her voice was ragged and filled with exhaustion.

"What about you two?"

Gar opened his mouth to speak, but I slammed my foot hard into his shin. He winced.

"We don't want to answer any questions without an attorney." I muttered. My gaze shifted over to Gar, whose face had gone completely ashen. He fidgeted in his seat while picking at his nails.

"Is that right?" The cop bore a smug grin. "Well then why'd you agree to come to the station for questioning?"

I held my breath, snarrling with fury on the inside. I wished Gar would have used his head.

"Fine." I grumbled. "No, I was not at a party."

"And you?"

"No." Gar choked out.

"Mind explaining why this young lady claims she was sexually assualted in the dorm room you claim is yours and how she came up with your name?"

Again, my gaze shifted over to Gar. The whole time my brain was screaming, please don't say anything stupid, please don't stay anything stupid. I would have gladly answered for him if only I had been asked instead.

With his face turned down, Gar managed to choke out another response.

"I don't know, but I wasn't at a party. I don't even know that girl."

"Then would YOU like to tell us why you claim a man named Gar sexually assualted you?" He asked, turning to the redhead.

She began to tear up as she tried to respond, but the officer gave no hint of emotion. He merely stared at her with a cold empty eyes, waiting for her response.

"I, I don't remember. I just- and he said his- Gar at the, at the party." She sobbed. The officer began to speak, but she continued, sniffing and wiping her eyes. "I felt tired and then I just, just remember waking up in the room."

"Okay, that's fine." The officer put up a hand to stop her. "So you don't remember the guy's face at all? You can't tell us if this is him?"

I glanced at the red head and Gar did too. She shook her head, slumping down in her seat.

To this this cop rubbed his eye and let out a small groan.

"Do either of you have anything else you'd like to add?"

I thought for a moment, knowing that I was about to make a very foolish decision.

"Gar was with me at my Dad's house working on an assignment, and then we went to a restraunt. You can ask my dad."

The officer nodded, taking down this information as well while we waited in silence. When he finally finished his paperwork he dismissed us back into the lobby. That's where we waited an additional half hour before he came back out.

"Alright, you two are free to go for now."

Gar and I gladly got up, but the redhead was advised to stay seated for more questioning. We walked back out to the car, the frigid midnight air raising goosebumps on my arms. I pulled the handle on the passenger's seat door and hopped in without saying one word to Gar.

"Sorry about this Rache." Was all he managed to say.

He dropped me off back at my Dad's place. I wasn't thrilled, but I didn't have much of a choice. I got to my room, not bothering to undress. Collapsing across my bed, I wondered if my foster dad would come pounding on my door any second. I shifted uncomfortably as I realized I was laying ontop of something. I realized it was the letter from my sperm donor father.

 **California State Correctional Facility** , I shuttered skimming the title once again before I opened it. Most of the letter was a bunch of falsified sentiments, utter crap. I wanted to shred it in a million pieces, light it on fire, and flush the remains down the toilet. Then I got to the end and was horrified. He'd be getting out in a few months.

Waves of nausea set over me. I choked back the thick lump rising in my throat for only so long until I found myself retching cheesburger all over the hallway. The vomit pooled in my nostrils, mouth, and all over my tee. Clawing my way through the hallway toward the bathroom, I finally made it to the toilet before another wave of nausea set it.

How? How did he? I couldn't think, couldn't breath. I laid across the clamy bathroom floor not daring to move. That's where my foster dad found me at 5am the next morning, which wasn't a pleasant one.

I was forced to scrub the carpet in my room, the hallway, and the bathroom before doing anything else. Two hours later I was in the kitchen grabbing a glass of water. My stomach growled and clenched, but I couldn't handle the idea of food. Not this morning. Dad sat across the table from me buttering his toast while I calmly sipped my water. That's when the call came.


	6. Chapter 6

Stella Bella 123: Glad you find the plot interesting so far. I'm also looking forward to seeing how this whole thing plays out. I usually plan something and then I get better ideas as I write.

Jinx125: Thanks for reading and you got your wish, here is chapter 6.

Well readers, I overworked myself trying to write this :P. I have a test I need to study for, but I wanted to write so bad. I think I changed POV like several times and then I was like ugh that breaks every writing rule. I also was trying to rid myself of redundant boring information while still giving enough to get the point across. I think I made some decent edits( probably needs more), and sorry if the plot isn't moving along as fast as you'd like. I'm a novice writer, but oh well. For those of you waiting for pairing and romance fluff, it's coming. Obviously I can't tell you who I'm pairing otherwise it'd kill the story, just don't automatically think my mini sex scenes give away my pairings. It may not turn out exactly how you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans

CHP 6 Confessions

"You are aware your son's got a horrible record? Charged for meth posssesion 3 times in the last year."

"This isn't about my past record!" Gar snarrled.

Immediately two chubby cops behind the desk shot up, their cuffs jangling against their fat bodies.

I watched as Gar's mom grabbed his wrist, squeezing it until I thought it'd go purple.

The blonde cop from yesterday thumbed through a manila folder, pulling out a sheet of paper, jotting down notes when Gar's Dad interjected. "Our son is currently attending a rehabilitational program. He's been clean for at least 6 months. Besides, what does his past drug use have to do with sexual assault?"

Drumming his fingers on the counter, the cop smiled. "I just want to make sure you're aware that your son doesn't have much in his favor. Just keep that in mind."

"Can we speed things up here? I'm sure you don't need myself or my daughter, this has nothing to do with her." My Dad cut in.

"She showed up with him." The cop nodded in Gar's direction. "Otherwise you're correct sir. We just need to verfiy some information. After that you're free to go."

"Fine."

The cop scratched his head. "Yesterday, your daughter stated she was working on an assignment. Is that true?"

Dad shifted uncomfortably, leaning against the counter. "Yeah, that's true." He grumbled.

"Both of 'em were at my house working on some school assignment, but then my daughter disappeared." He shot me a heated glare. "I have no idea where they went afterwards."

The cop looked at me. "You didn't mention that part last night."

"You didn't ask. I told you we went to a restraunt. I didn't tell my Dad where we went because he was acting like an asshole."

The cop bit back a grin. "What time did you finish at the restraunt."

"I don't know, like 9:00 or 9:30 maybe. Right Gar?"

"Yeah," Gar shook himself out of a stupor. " 9:00 or 9:30."

According to my report Kori called us at 11:30. That's a two to two and a half hour gap."

"Yeah and?" Gar snarrled.

"That leaves roughly two hours unaccounted for."

"Then maybe it was later than that. I don't know," I growled, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. "We drove for a while and we ran into Gar's stupid friends."

"It took you a whole two and a half hours?"

"I said I don't remember!"

"That's fine." He shrugged not giving my minor outburst much attention. He let out a sigh. "Well folks, we don't have much to go on. Most of this is he said she said information. It's up to Kori whether she wants to press charges or not, but that's really all the information we need for now."

I felt a mild sense of relief wash over me when we headed for the car, but my heart skipped when I'd overheard the conversation erupting between Gar and Kori's Dad.

"She's going to press charges. Don't get too excited cause we're taking you to court kid."

I watched them part ways, Gar in his Lexus and Kori in her parents white moserati.

I shook my head, wondering what Gar was gonna do. If this went to court, they'd annihilate him.

Fingers running through her long red wavy locks, Kori sighed. That guy had looked so scared, but not as scared as she was. What if she was wrong? Everyone would think she was just a stupid little girl looking for attention.

"You are going to press a charge correct?" Her mother patted her on the shoulder, pulling her into an akward hug.

"I am... not sure. I will think on it."

"You should." Her dad snorted, making a turn into a clossal sized drive way, pushing the remote for the garage. "Guys like him will get an easy ride all through life if someone doesn't put an end to it."

Kori went silent, watching her parents go into the house. Why couldn't she remember his face. It would be so much easier if she could just remember. She closed her eyes thinking back to last night.

 _It was dark all around her. Laughter. Cute Boys. Drinks. Then dark._

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she grasped her Coach Purse and headed into the house. Why did this whole thing have to be so complicated?

"You're just lucky they didn't bring up your record like your friend's! Meth possesion is nothing in comparison! Why would you bring a drug addict home! The hell's the matter with you!" Dad attacked me first thing when we got back to the house. His eyes burning with fury.

"Look, you sent me to a rehab center, rehab is for people with problems, what did you expect?"

"Just shut up."

Slumping in my seat, I stuffed in my headphones, feeling heat rise to my face. I tried to close my eyes and fall asleep to the sound of a rainstorm coming through my headphones. I was so tired. Last night had turned my insides to a ball of puddy. The real problem was getting out of prison in a matter of months and my stupid stepfather was worried about my involvement in a crime that wasn't even committed!

My eyes were only shut for a few seconds when I felt my ass buzzing. Taking out my phone I noticed two messages from one person I didn't really care to hear from. I tapped the green message smiley on my screen skimming them.

 _Sorry about today_

 _Didn't mean to get you introuble._

I cocked an eyebrow before chucking my phone in the back seat and stuffing my headphones back in.

"I am not hungry."

Kori made a trail in her pea soup with a spoon, dipping it in and out and watching the green contents drip back down into her bowl.

"I would imagine not. It's hard to eat when you are worried about a criminal assualting you again. If you don't press charges that's exactly what could happen." Kori's father slurpped a large spoonful of soup, a bit collecting in his red mustache.

"We are not exactly certain it is him." Kori huffed. Her eyes were red from exhaustion, but she still looked beautiful as ever. Her lips were stained with red lipstick from the other night at the party. The same lipstick she wore when she kissed-

That guy at the party. Her eyes widened. She thought back to the other night.

 _It was dark. She was sitting with her sister And'r then he walked up. No green mowhawk, brown eyes, not blue and green._

 _He offered to take her back to her house,a friend of And'r, Gar_

 _Where were they going?_

 _Lights. Laughing. Tired._

 _She felt sick, nauseated, when she felt her head being lowered._

 _Tongue. Chuckling. Kissing._

Her thoughts raced as she worked harder to put the pieces together.

 _His hands went where they were not welcome, but she lacked the strength to push him off._

 _He hurt her. Again. Then Again._

 _Pain went through her skull_

Kori touched her cheek, watching as her parents carried on a steady conversation though she heard not a word that was said.

 _He had slapped her._

 _Her mouth, his body._

 _Pants unzipping._

 _Her blouse and underwear_

 _The taste of stale liquor_

 _A shaped tatoo_

He'd given her a different name. Leaping up from her chair, Kori bolted up the winding staircase to her room, searching for her phone.

It was nearly 5pm when Gar receieved the call. He had left the dorm for a few hours to get something to eat, then came back to see if anyone had returned when his phone started buzzing.

"Hello, is Garfield Logan available?"

"You're talking to him."

"Hi Garfield-"

"Gar."

"Okay, Gar. This is officer Park from yesterday. We received a call about an hour ago from Kori. She says she thinks the guy gave her a fake name. The person she describes is tall with black hair, brown eyes, and an A shaped tatoo."

Immediately Gar's eyes snapped open and his pulse quickened. _B_ _astard._

"Anyone you know?"

"I think so... look I gotta go." Gar ended the call as his dormmate came walking up with a few friends laughing.

"Hey man, they let you out of jail already?"

"Adon, you jackoff, you gave that chick my name, didn't you?"

"Yeah bitch and what?"

Adon's friends burst out laughing and mocking with a chorus of Ohs.

Gar's fist went flying into Adon's right cheek as he lunged forward, dropping him instantly. Before he could get up Gar was ontop of him nailing him with swift punches to the head. Adon's friends clustered around the two watching as he gasped for breath, struggling to fight back. A tiny bit of blood pooled in the corner of his mouth, but Gar kept smashing his head in with his fists, his bony knees piercing Adon's groin like a dagger.

"Fucking tweaking psycho! You're fucking crazy!" Adon shouted as two RAs came running down the hall breaking into the circle.

They tugged at Gar's arms and legs, but he fought all three of them until he realized who the other two guys were. He immediately dropped his fist, standing to his feet, but it didn't matter.

"Get your stuff. You're out of here TONIGHT!"

Gar held his breath glaring at the RAs his nostrils flaring and his fist clenched.

"FINE JUST LET ME IN MY FUCKING ROOM."

"Your key is down in the lobby. I'll be back." The RA sprinted down the hall while everyone else remained.

When the RA returned the rest of the crowd, including Adon, had already left. As the door opened Gar and the RA were instantly greeted by the smell of piss and feces.

"YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!"

Gar tore the sheet from his matteress revealing a pile of shit.

"You see this! And you're kicking me out!"

"If we find out who did it we'll make them pay for the damages, but there's no proof of who was involved."

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!"

Gar tossed his few belonging in the back of his Lexus. The only thing he took with him was his tv, gamestation, and cd collection. Where could he go now?

He'd live in his car before he told his parents he got kicked out. All the trouble he'd already caused them, there was no way they'd believe anything he said if he tried to explain.

It would have been easy to just call one of his friends, but all his friends knew Adon and they liked him better.

He tried to think of someone else he knew and the only person he could come up with was Terra, but she was another problem. If he went to stay with her he'd end up high. She was always using. Always.

"Ugh!" He pounded his head against the stearing wheel. That only left one person. He pulled out his phone dialing, his fingers trembling.

Ringing

Ringing

Ringing

No answer. Dammnit, he thought.

He dialed again, chewing his lip when the phone went to voice.

"Hey Rache, this is Gar. Look, I know you think I'm annoying as hell, and I got you introuble with your dad, but can you just pick up the-"

"WHAT."

Instantly, a thick grin spread across Gar's face.

"Knew you'd answer."


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys, I revived my fics. I hope people can find them again :/. Also, been really busy with school, and it's only going to get busier because of finals and job interviews. The life of a young adult :P. Anyway, here is chapter 7. My mommy liked it, but you guys aren't my mommy so... uh well, we'll see how this goes lol.

*Warning lots of profanity, sorry, but it was necessary. Also, I jump back and forth saying dad when I'm referring to the stepdad. Rachel has two dads, her biological dad that is incarcerated, and then the I should clarify although you are all intelligent people who probably figured this out to begin with, but whatever.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

CHP 7: HELP

"What do you expect me to do about it? I can't help you."

"Rache, I don- I just-," Gar chewed at the tips of his fingers. "Dude can't you hide me in your room or something for a week? I just need sometime to get a place and a roommate."

"Hide you, Gar are you high? Oh that's right I forget you're a tweaker- I barely know you! Not only that my foster dad would put us both in the street. He hardly likes me as it so I'm pretty sure he hates you."

"Just think about it okay-"

"No."

"Think about it."

"I SAID NO."

The line went dead on my end and I figured that was it. I suppose I felt bad for him, but he really did bring it on himself. I didn't understand why he wouldn't just stay with his parents, that made more sense,but then again logic wasn't something he did.

I yawned curling into a ball and shutting my eyes. All the sleep I'd missed the other night was calling my name, but sleep was the last thing I'd be getting. I noticed faint taps at my window and I was unsurprised to see a skinny guy with a green mohawk standing outside.

Scowling, I pulled open the window.

"Are you stalking me because I can and will get a restraining order."

"You're being unreasonable!" Gar whined.

How was I going to get rid of him before my foster dad noticed?

"I'm coming up."

"What? NO."

With frusteration, and mild amusement, I watched as Gar used the brick wall outside my window as a ledge to reach up to a small rusty pipe hanging just a foot below my bedroom window. For a person of average height this might have been a challenge to reach, but Gar easily grabbed hold of it, swinging agily like an acrobate or a chimp.

Deep creases formed in his evenly tanned forehead and he flashed me a nervous grin while dangling 16ft from the ground.

"You are such an idiot." I grumbled, reaching out a hand to pull him in. His weight nearly pulled me out of the window, but I held tight, tugging his arms, until both of us tumbled across the bedroom floor.

"I just want you to know that I hate you."

He didn't speak, instead, he grabbed me around the waist squeezing until I felt all the air forced out of my lungs.

"Thanks dude."

"Get off me and stop talking so loud." I thumbed through my hair for the third time, frowning at Gar as he took off his shoes.

"I need to move my car and get my stuff out of my trunk."

"I'll do it, just give me the keys."

"Your not driving my car." He pouted.

"Your not sleeping in my closet." I said folding my arms.

He reluctantly tossed me the keys before collapsing on my bed and snuggling into the covers.

"Don't get too comfortable. I'll be back in a second just don't make any noise."

Tiptoeing out in the hallway, I held my breath, glancing at my dad's study where the door was just slightly cracked. He was in there watching the game and having a few beers so I knew that little would distract him, a good thing.

"RACHEL!"

I stopped in midstride, halfway down the first step.

"Yeah?" I threw my head back in irritation as I went to meet him in his study. The game had gone to commercial and he was gulping his beer with his back to me.

"What do you have planned for tommorrow? Have you applied for any more schools or a job at least?"

"Yeah..." I trailed off, glancing at the floor. " I have a group session and then," I thought of Dick, "and... an interview with an advisor at this school I applied to after that."

"Which school?"

"I uh... I can't remember the name I'll tell you about it later, the information is online."

"Fine." He said as the game came back on.

I backed out into the hallway and quickly down the stairs and out the door. When I noticed where Gar's car was parked I realized just how dumb he really was.

"Oh come on." I growled, struggling to dislodge the car from its horribly parrallel parked parking space. When I'd finally managed to park it, in the back alley of my house, I popped the trunk and grabbed as much as I could carry. Thankfully he didn't have much, just a laptop and some clothes. He was really messy though, boxers, and Oldspice was littered everwhere.

I really hope these are clean I said using a wire hanger to grab a pair of boxers. Carefully, I hoisted a trash bag of clothes over my shoulder and nestled the laptop under my other arm as I trudged back into the house and up the stairs.

"You owe me for this." I said, tossing the clothes in my closet and shutting my door. "Oh I figured as much.." I snarrled realizing he was asleep.

"What is the point of this John?"

"Change. Change is what helps us grow, it helps us understand ourselves and what we want out of life."

"I know that I don't want to be here." Dick grummbled.

"What was that Mr. Grayson?"

"I said this is rediculous. How is a perfect stranger going to make life changing suggestions for someone they hardly know?"

John siddled up to Dick, looking him dead in the eyes. "What do you like about your life Mr. Grayson?"

Immediately everyone's attention was drawn to him. He folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head back. "I don't know."

"You know what I see when I look at you. Someone who needs love. You need someone to care about you. That's what your missing. You're angry."

"That's stupid," Dick scoffed. I'm not angry.

"Why do you have many pointless relationships then?"

"They aren't pointless."

"Then you care about the women you engage in casual sex with?"

"Does it matter."

"Just answer."

"I don't think I should have to."

Dick sat back down in his seat, eyes narrowed into thin slits.

"Like Mr. Grayson we all have our inner demons. We could all benefit from the advice of a friend. You've all been spending time getting to know your new friend. I want you each to make a list of goals you set for your friend and then present them to the rest of the group."

A chorus of groans proceeded as if we were in highschool. Gar stared at me, but I looked away. It was bad enough that he was now living at my house. I didn't really care to talk about our "growing friendship" because frankly I was growing sick of his prescence.

I thought back to last night how I fought to kick him out of my bed and roll him into the closet, or how he had woken up begging me to get him a glass of water. Then there was the frequent moans and the whipering. And this was only one night. I was supposed to take an entire week of this? I hated myself for being so genorous.

"How are things going?" John passed by me and Gar hovering over our shoulders.

"Fine." I grumbled.

"Good, good, and how about you Gar?"

"Awesome dude, got plently of suggestions for Rache." He grinned, smacking me on the back so hard I nearly choked.

Snarrling I got up. "I'll be back..."

I plodded out to the lobby area for a drink of bottle water, tapping my foot impatiently as my Dasani took a moment to despense, I noticed Dick's spikey jet black hair behind me.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Just getting a drink."

"Yeah me too." He said, staring straight forward as he put his money in the machine. I felt his groin lightly brush against my butt and I shut my eyes, wanting to plant my lips on his. The feeling quickly passed though as he moved away, back toward the counseling room.

"Are we?"

"Not today, I have to take care of something."

"Fine." I said, dragging my feet several steps behind him. Not like I cared. The door to the rehab room swung shut as he let himself back in. I caught it, walking in just in time to to see Gar standing on a chair at the front of the room.

"My suggestions for Rache." He cleared his throat dramtically causing everyone to laugh.

"She should lighten up a bit. She takes everything too damn serious."

"Uh profanity." John raised an eyebrow.

"Oh my bad, I mean she takes everything too dang serious. I feel like if she got away from her Dad she'd be different."

My cheeks reddened as curious faces turned toward me. I gave Gar the dirtiest look I could, but he wouldn't stop.

"Oh yeah," John encouraged him, hoisting his feet up on the table next to Gar. "What have you noticed about her home life? Is it unhealthy?"

"No, not really." Gar chewed his nails and flicked his finger tips as if trying to remove a piece of lint. "Her dad doesn't seem like the nicest guy though. Her step dad I mean. I don't know anything about the other one."

"SHUT UP." I suddenly shouted, catching even more attention.

"Yeah," he continued even louder. "He talks to her kind of mean, treats her like a crimi-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

I shot out of my seat and threw my fist into his face so hard his head snapped back. When he straightened back up I could see a little bit of blood spattered on the corner of his lip.

"This is pointless, I'm done here." I said, storming off.

Gar gave a despondent nod licking the corner of his lip where I'd hit him. "Me too." He got up, quickly moving past me through the door.

I slammed the door. I needed a walk, some air, anything but this place, but there was nowhere to go. Not really. I felt a heafty weight latch onto my shoulders as I watched the sun duck behind the trees. I watched as Gar got in his car gunning the engine, he zoomed past me.

* * *

Great job asshole, I thought, guess whose house you're staying in.

I got home 2 hours earlier than I usually did on Wednesdays. Dad was standing in the kitchen spreading a thick hunk of peanut butter on a slice of wheat bread. He slapped the other slice on top then shot a casual glance at me.

"Thought you had an interview today?"

"They canceled."

I sidled up to the counter, hoisting myself up backwards.

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow.

Breathing felt like squeezing carrots through a cheesecloth when I looked back at him.

"They rejected your application didn't they?"

"I didn't say that."

"You said they canceled. Why would they cancel unless they rejected your application?"

"I don't know."

His fist came down hard on the counter.

"DAMNNIT! You just gonna sit around my house the rest of your life?"

"It's not that big of a de-"

"DON'T TELL ME IT'S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL! DO YOU PAY THE BILLS? HUH? IS YOUR NAME ON THE ELECTRICITY BILL OR THE WATER BILL?"

My lips tightened in a grim line as I quickly moved to get past him, but he caught me by the collar.

"DON'T WALKOUT ON ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU! YOU SURE AS HELL BETTER COME UP WITH A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE BECAUSE I'VE DONE ALL I'M GONNA DO! I FEED YOU, I PUT A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD, AND I PAY FOR REHAB!

"Rehab was your idea." I snarrled. "There's nothing wrong with me."

"THEN WHY THE HELL CAN'T YOU GET INTO COLLEGE OR AT LEAST GET A FUCKING JOB!"

I attempted to jerk away, but his hold became tighter where I lost my balance, dangling from his grip.

With red and watery eyes he released me, turning to walk out of the room without saying a word. Likewise, I dismissed myself, climbing the stairs to my room in bitter silence.

Could I hate myself anymore than I already did. Would that make him accept me?

I quickly wiped the small tear forming in my left eye, dawning a poker face when Gar looked up at me. He was lounging on my bed with his laptop, his lip still busted from saying anything he carefully got up and locked himself inside my closet.

If I wasn't so tangled in my own problems I might have felt sorry for him, might have. It must be lonely holding onto people that don't want you around. I would know.

I snorted, rubbing my nose and checking to make sure he was gone when I went to my drawer, pulling out a large t-shirt. Carefully I slid out of my jeans and unhooked my bra, glancing at the closed closet door every now and then. Climbing in the bed and pulling the covers over my legs, I shut my eyes, trying to sleep, but I couldn't. It was like a choke hold was caught around my neck. Why was I this thing no one could stand, not even myself.

Stabbing prickles inched up my thighs heading for my stomach as I thought of my mom. Who she was when I looked into her eyes at ten years old with a knife to her throat, my dad's hate filled voice in my ear. How his upper lip curled with disgust at the sight of her laying there helpless, "Kill the bitch." He snarrled. "Kill her for both of us. She doesn't deserve to live."

Weakness siezed every muscle until I was heaving uncontrolably. I hate him! I hate him and wish he'd rot in hell for all of fucking eternity! I yelled it over and over again in my head.

And now I was boiling over. It hurt, hurt so bad. My stepdad would never understand that I couldn't be normal if I tried.

I turned my head to wipe the snot and tears, flipping the soggy pillow over when I heard the lock on the closet door. Gar, who was wearing a ridiculous pair of Daffy Duck boxerz and a white tall t, came to sit at the edge of my bed. My brows furrowed into a low arch and I shifted uncomfortably as I felt his weight next to me.

I didn't want him near me. Two fuck ups didn't equal normal. I scooted away until I was so close to the edge of the bed I was nearly on the floor. This didn't deter him from resting his hand on my back.

I listened to the sound of my own laboured breathing, breath, after breath. His hand felt heavier with each heave. The slowly dwindling minutes lessened my distraught until he was no longer in sight. Only the fullness of night.


	8. Chapter 8

Hi guys, enjoy the chapter. It's kind of one of those "things are just getting ready to heat up" kind of chapters. Once again, I probably should edit more, but then there's always time for that. I'm considering editing the entire story to make it T rated because I really like the idea behind this story and I wish more people would take a look at it. Anyway, enough of my blabbering.

CHP 8: Just Another Day...

DISCLAIMER-I Don't Own the Teen Titans

I stared at Gar with eyes like flying saucers. "I didn't know you were in here..."

"Dude, don't you knock?" Steam from the bathroom poured into the hallway.

"This is my house remember, and you need to hurry. Dad's coming back around 11."

The door shut in my face and opened again, with Gar dripping wet, a towel loosely wrapped around his waist. He picked his ear waddling into my room.

Reaching for the handle on the shower, I disrobed, tossing my clothes aside while stepping into the tepid water.

"Damn," I huffed.

"GAR!"

"Yeah?"

"I forgot my clothes."

"And?"

"Go get them!"

"What do I look like the maid!"

"Just bring them!"

"Right a way your heinous. Which ones you want me to bring?"

"Just grab anything I'll change when I get back in the room."

"Gotcha."

I waited patiently until I heard knocking.

"Just come inside."

"That's what she said." Gar laughed, tossing my things on the sink counter. I waited for him to leave before I got out.

"What's up today?" He shouted.

"Nothing." I admitted. "Why?"

"Just thought I'd ask if you wanted to come to the mall." He trailed off. "Since you're looking for a job."

He tripped when I opened the door, pearing up at me with angry eyes, which I greated with a smirk.

"Yeah I need a job, but who's going to hire me? Felons aren't exactly employee material."

"Don't think like that. Some places may be willling to work with you. Just tell them what happened."

" I can't." I leaned back against the door. "It's complicated."

"Get a job or be one of those homeless guys standing on a street corner holding a sign?" Deep creases formed at the base of his green hair line and I looked at him sighing heavily, running fingers through my hair.

"Fine."

Screaming children, greasy air saturated with the smell of buttered pretzels and french fries, impatient shoppers bumping elbows with us every five seconds. I was going mad. And we'd only just arrived 5 minutes ago.

"I can't work here." I held my breath watching a screaming boy dart past Gar demanding his mother's attention.

Gar gazed forward. "Street corner, homeless teen, badly written sign..."

I sighed, trailing behind as he walked into Brittany's. The store had mostly pastel colored jumpsuits, rompers, and multicolored jeanie pants. Unfortunately this kind of thing was in.

"Hi!"

We were greated by a tall thin blonde. She fluttered her heavily coated eyelashes twerking her way across the room.

"Just want to let you know everything on this back rack is 25% off and we're giving away free $10 gift cards for every 10 items you purchase. Men's shoes are 30% off right now until the 25th of this month. Bras, panties, and women's shoes are 15% right now with the purchase of two or more accessories. All sales are final, even with a reciept. Can I help you?"

"Uh.," Gar scartched his chin. "We were just gonna ask if you're hiring."

"Oh." She scanned him over. "The manager's not here right now, but I can give you an application."

She snatched one from under the table, handing it to Gar who handed it to me, watching with a bemused expression.

"Oh, it's for you." She laughed. "That's cute. Are you guys dating or something?"

"No." I muttered dryly.

"No." Gar added.

"Oh..."

She smiled, immediately loosing interest.

"Sorry another customer's coming. Let me know if you have anymore questions."

When Gar turned away I slid the application in the trash.

"That was eventful."

"It only one store, be positive."

"Whatever." I turned away. Noticing a petite girl with auburn curls having her eyebrows threaded. Beside her stood a tall guy with dark hair brooding.

I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip. Unfortunately this gesture didn't go unnoticed.

"Don't make that face."

"What face?" Gar smirked.

"You know damn well what face."

"WHAT?" He laughed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Fuck you," I snarrled, storming into the nearest store I could find. Gar followed, trying to catch up.

"Are you guys hiring?"

"Um... yeah." He raised an eyebrow. "We're actually getting ready to hire a ton of new people."

Gar caught me at the desk.

"Uh Rache."

I ignored him.

"Here's our application. The main manager should be in tomorrow and you can interview with him."

"Great."

"Rache."

I took the application as Gar grabbed my arm, pulling me outside.

"What are you doing. I'm trying to get a job remember."

"Dude, you don't want to work there." He shook his head. "That's a porn store."

I glanced up at the sign. "Great."

"I tried to stop you." He laughed. " I don't understand how you failed to see the vibrating dildos or strap ons."

"Please stop talking to me."

I got quiet noticing Dick and his 'girlfriend' passing by on the opposite side. For a second he glanced in my direction, then they disappeared into the food court.

"You hungry?" Gar asked, noticing my blank stare.

"Come on," He nudged my shoulder. "I'll buy."

* * *

"You sure you want that?"

I held a slice of cheese pizza to my lips. Strings of mozerrella and cheddar dangled from the sides, most beautiful thing I'd seen all day. I opened my mouth for a large bite, but a hand came from under mine, redirecting the slice.

"You asshole that was my bite." I glared.

"Not anymore," Gar grinned, swallowing hard..

"So what do you want to do after this? Wanna try more stores?"

"I don't know." I glanced down at the table. "I'm actually getting sick of the mall."

"We just got here." He said, stretching, and druming his hands on the table.

I barred my teeth. "Can you stop?"

"Stop what?"

"The figeting, your always moving, always fidgeting."

"Oh uh, sorry, it's something I just kind of do...a habit."

"It's annoying."

"Sorry." He clamped his hands together.

"How'd you get into drugs in the first place?"

He looked away. "How about we go to the arcade, you wanna go hangout there for a while?"

"Not really." I shrugged. "I want an answer to my question."

His head lulled back, "Rache, I really don't want to talk about that."

"Whatever." I folded my arms under my chest. "Hey, isn't that that girl who accused you of sexual assaualt?"

Across the food court there were two tall women standing infront of an ice cream shop. Kori and another girl with black hair that looked similar.

"You wanna go say hi?" I smirked. Gar responded with a scowel.

"Only if we go say hi to your smash buddy and his girlfriend first."

I sneered. Kori and the other girl headed in our direction. The closer they got the more Gar sank.

"Oh look, they're coming to sit across from us." I deadpanned.

"You shitting me?" Gar rested his head in his palm, grimacing. "You said you're tired of the mall right?"

"No actually I think you've talked me into staying longer." I stretched, smiling.

When Kori and the other girl sat down we got quite.

"I just need to be alone. You should get that." I watched her glance fall to the floor as she tugged at her long wavy strands.

"Don't be such a child. I'm throwing another party this weekend whether you like it or not."

"Okay, And'r that's fine, but why at Mom and Dad's?"

The dark haired girl tossed her hair over her shoulder. "My apartments too small, duh. Plus, mom and dad are going on a cruise this weekend."

Kori became silent.

"I don't know why you make such a big deal out of this whole thing. If you don't want to be there go out, find some friends, get a boyfriend, I don't care."

And'r waved across the room at two girls. One wore highwaisted jean shorts with a pale blue halter, the other, a yellow romper. When they came over to join them Kori shrunk.

"Hey girl heey! What's going on this Saturday?" asked the girl in the shorts.

And'r's eyes lit up. "We're throwing a party guys." She scooted over, drapping her arms around Kori.

"Oh, so then you're coming." The girl in the romper gave Kori a puzzled look. "You do realize Adon will probably show up. He's friends with everyone. Plus, he brings the drinks."

Kori shot a concerned look at And'r.

"Oh she knows. She'll be in the back the whole time, problem solved."

"Great. We'll see you Saturday, we're meeting someone else so gotta go."

"You ready to go?" And'r asked Kori.

"I suppose."

I watched them walkaway thanking God I was an only child.

"Glad I don't have a sister."

"Ditto" said Gar. "I can't imagine having a sister that heartless." He stared at the dark haired girl distantly and my eyes followed.

"I think about my Dad, the real one...all the shit he's done to screw up my life and still that girl sounds a thousand times more evil."

This caught Gar's attention and his head snapped back around. "What's the big deal about him? How come you won't talk about him?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not, it's not like I'm going to judge you. I already think you're a bitch."

I glared.

"Kidding," he grinned.

I thought for a moment. "You tell me about your parents and I'll tell you about mine."

"Deal, but not here."

"Fine."

* * *

We visited a few more stores, ones where I actually kept the applications, but I still wasn't thrilled about working in the mall.

"Hey look!" Gar called as we walked down an isle.

"Massage Topia, you game?"

"Isn't that kind of expensive?"

"Naa." He grabbed my hand leading me under a small golden archway. A petite Indian woman stood at the counter asking us for a session length. Gar payed her and we were seated.

"This is weird."

"Stop being so damn boring." Gar laughed.

When the massage therapist came out she had two towels and two robes drapped over her arm.

"The changing rooms are in the back, the mens on the left, and the woman's on the right, take your time."

I slowly reached for a towel.

"Gar I don-..."

"Can't hear you Rache I'm already in the back." He grinned, sporting his towel over his shoulder.

I took a deep breath. This was why I didn't get involved with people. It was an emotional investment I couldn't afford. Now I would be stuck on a table for an hour like a dissected frog.

I sighed deeply as I lifted my shirt over my head. In the mirror I stared at my pale flat stomach and slender legs, which also matched the paleness of my stomach. I wasn't that attractive. At least not to myself. My long black hair was probably my only asset.

I undid my bra, stairing at my bare chest. I wasn't happy with what I saw and this had little to do with my physical attractiveness. Instead of a pretty face I saw ugliness no make up could cover up. These flaws were more daunting than just a simple pimple or freckle, something that had and would follow me the rest of my life.

I wondered if this is what others saw. Those flaws that make us incarcerate a person, lock them away for good so that no one will ever have to tolerate their "ugliness" again.

Wrapping a towel around myself, I stepped out into the massage room with Gar.

When he laid down aside from me and I couldn't help, but notice the warewolf on his back. Under it read, Beast Boy.

"What's with the tattoo?" I whispered to him.

Turning his head to face me, he gave a sort of half smile. "Just a something I did... you wouldn't get it though."

"You've convinced me to tell you about my Dad even though I insist that you won't get it. "

"Yeah, but that's two secrets for one. I have to tell you about my parents also remember." He cracked his neck, yawning.

I frowned.

"Fine, I'll tell you about it later. Tonight, when I tell you about my parents."

I nodded as two massage therapists entered the room wheeling two carts.

"Here we go..." I groaned.

* * *

"See, it wasn't that bad."

"Yeah whatever." I deadpanned. We were back near the main gate now and it seemed like there were more people than when we first got here.

"This is rediculous."

"Ready to go?"

I nodded. I could see the sky outside the double glass doors and it was just beginning to turn slightly pink. We spent the entire day at the mall, disgusting, I thought.

I was so wrapped in my own thoughts I didn't notice who was passing by us. My heart did a belly flop into my stomach when I finally caught sight of those cutting blue eyes and jet black hair.

"Hey.." I said trailing off as I noticed him glance away. He held the door open for the girl I'd seen him with earlier.

Gar just looked at me and shook his head. I knew what he was thinking because I was thinking it too.

What a Dick.

Dad was gone when we got back. I was glad because there was no way we were getting through the window. After an hour of fighting at Farmer's Market we ended up with two jumbo bags of popcorn, a gallon of cookie dough ice cream, a bag of gummy bears, a container of chocolate chip cookies, and two bottles of Bacardi. Basically fat ass central.

"Even if we both weighed a thousand pounds this is more food than we'd ever need."

"Yeah, but at least now we're prepared."

"Prepared for what? This isn't the apocolypse."

He shrugged. I watched as he grabbed all the bags in one arm like Superman, and bolted up the stairs.

"You comin?"

"One second." I signaled to Gar as I pulled out my phone.

"I'll be outside, give me a minute."

Gar nodded, heading toward the room.

I went to the back patio where no one could hear. I don't know why I cared, but I guess I did. I looked at the phone, hesitating a few minutes before pressing dial. Why would he call?

I pressed redial and the phone was ringing by the time I got around to thinking of how stupid it was for me to even consider calling him.

"Hello?"

"Rachel?"

"You called me?"

"I need to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Not on the phone. Can you come over? I'll pick you up."

"Now?"

I glanced up at my bedroom window.

"If you can."

"Why? I don't see a reason to."

"It's important."

"Fine."

I hung up the phone and went around to the front to wait. About 15 minutes had passed before I noticed Dick's car rolling toward the drive way. It took the same amount of time for Gar to come thumping down the stairs.

"What's taking you so long?"

" I have somewhere to be."


	9. Chapter 9

So I really like this chapter, but I have several things to say. First WARNING, it does contain some violent descriptions. I didn't think it was too bad, but... just a heads up. The second thing is don't shoot me for all the Robrae stuff when I set this as a Bbrae story lol, just wait before attacking. By the way I'm really starting to freakin love Gar in this story. K, I think that's all I really need to tell you, oh and FEED BACK GUYS PLEASE.

DISCLAIMER- I don't own the Teen Titans

 **CHP 9: Memories**

"So."

"So..."

"Why am I here?"

"You mean you think this is about more than just good sex?" Dick scoffed. A sadness hung in his eyes that overruled sarcasm. He sifted through a manilla folder organizing it in a neat pile on the counter, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"I did have other plans-"

"You didn't have to come."

"But I did." I ground my teeth waiting for his reply. Was this really all there was? I was aware this was an empty relationship the moment I kissed back, but for some idiotic reason I guess I thought there was something else.

"I need a new roommate." He mumbled, not bothering to look up. "My roommate found out about me attending rehab and he's leaving."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Are you really going to make me ask?"

I gave a blank stare.

"I want you to be my roommate."

"I hardly know you and you're asking me to live with you?"

He folded his arms over his chest, reclining back in his chair. "What's so surprising about it. You didn't have a problem sleeping with me."

It got quiet as I gazed at him. "I'm going back home. This was a waste of time."

Turning my back to him, I headed for the door, but a tug came at my left arm. I jerked away, breaking loose, but he clamped a hand around my shoulder.

"Don't touch me." I snarrled, shoving him backwards into the wall. He stood there, still for a moment with his head cocked back. I came closer, our chins nearly touching as my lips molded into a hatefilled scowl. We stayed there a moment, threatening eachother with dirty looks when he reached out to touch me again. His surly demeanor unchanging as he traced a line from my stomach, to hip, with his index finger. I swallowed hard the moment I felt it snuggle into the waistline of my shorts. My jaw clenched as he ran a thumb slowly over my bottom lip, not saying a word, only looking.

He broke away suddenly. "It's this damn psyche evaluation!" His hardened gaze fell to the floor. "You want to know the real reason I attend rehab?"

I stared back impassively as he grabbed the stack of paperwork off the counter, tossing it at me. Loose papers flew from the sides and I set my eyes on one, tucking several strands of hair behind my ear as I bent down to grab it.

My eyes moved from left to right, rapidly scanning the sheet. "It says you're a risk." I glanced up at him. His head was still hung low, focusing intently on the floor.

"...A potential threat to others, and yourself."

He clenched his fists, his gaze drifting out the window. "That's why my roommate is leaving. They labeled me as a paranoid schizophrenic."

With red glassy eyes he turned back to me. "You dream everynight of your parents, lying next to you, breathing ragidly, drowing in their own blood." He paused, licking his lips. "Pretty soon you stop sleeping altogether just to stop seeing their pain. The blood, the tiny fragments of skull, brain tissue staining your sheets. Now I see it sometimes when I'm awake."

I became deathly still listening.

"They think medication is going to stop me from going after the asshole who did it. This whole sick joke is a cover up so the coward can get away with murder."

He stopped so I figured this was my que to speak. "I still don't understand how my staying will help matters."

Cocking his head to the side, he smirked. "If you stay with me several months and I don't kill you it proves I'm not dangerous. I get off restriction, go after the bastard who murdered my parents, and live happily ever after."

"You're kidding right?" He looked back at me straight faced. "You're not kidding."

Chewing my bottom lip, I turned away. A chance to get away from my stepdad was my desperate prayer, but how could I trust this guy? I didn't know him and what I knew made me uneasy. My only response was a nod, which reittirated my reluctance.

* * *

Offering a sexy one cheeked smile, he came closer, brushing his lips lightly against my neck he reached for my zipper. "Looks like it's time to celebrate."

"Mmmhmmmm." I rolled over onto my stomach groaning. My long black hair drapped over my pale shoulders as I rested my head against Dick's satin pillow. His large palm squeezed my calf several times before sliding down to caress my feet. The insides of my toes tingled with each movement of his hand, but pleasure wasn't absent of pain.

…...

" _But Dad, I don't want to."_

" _She doesn't deserve to live! She's a jealous whore!"_

 _Mom's pleading wet eyes said what her lips could not as I held the edge of the knife to her throat. Tears slid down my eyes, possibly the only time I ever felt, really felt, anything. At least the only time I could remember._

" _DAD! Stop it!" I screamed, bloodcurddling gasps echoing from my bloodied lips. "You're hurting me! STOP IT! STOP! PLEAASE STOP!"_

 _A fist came hard into my left eye. Darkness, then nothing._

… _..._

"There's something I need to tell you if we're going to stay together." Deep creases formed in my forhead.

"I'm listening," Dick said.

"It's not that easy."

He gave a muffled chuckle, shifting his weight across the bed so that he could face me. "Rachel, I promise there's nothing you could tell me that would surprise me. Whatever it is, I can handle it."

"It's about my dad, my real dad..."

Dick sat up, facing me with a concerned look.

Pausing, I stared at the floor. "I'm sorry, I- I can't." Just forget I mentioned it.

I wanted to escape. To disappear so he couldn't see the weakness forming in my face as my eyes began to water. Why couldn't I break free from the memory of that asshole? Clumps of mascara started flaking off into my eyes.

"This cheap shit." I growled, getting up to rinse my face in his bathroom. He followed.

"Hey," he said, straddling the outsides of my legs and gripping me around the shoulders. "You don't have to tell me anything. I get it. Parents are a rough subject for me too."

I couldn't speak, just nodded again. He leaned down , pulling me in for a kiss, when my phone went off.

"Sorry.." I said in a scratchy voice. "Just a minute."

Walking out to the front balcony of his apartment, I glarred at my phone, hitting talk.

"WHAT GAR?"

"I just wanted to let you know your dad's home and he's pissed."

My eyes shot open. "Did he see you?"

"No, but he's yelling because your not home and it's almost midnight."

* * *

I ended the call immediately.

Dick dropped me off in the alley leading to my house. The instant he stopped, I bolted in, forgetting to say goodnight.

Dad was waiting for me in the kitchen.

"You know what time it is?" He asked, the dim lighting casting a retched shadow against his distinguished features.

I stared back, refraining from answering.

"I just don't understand what the hell is wrong with you! I do everything to keep you out of trouble and you go sneaking off behind my back! Where the hell were you? Off at that little criminal's house?"

My lips persed, but I was too numb to speak.

"Or was it the drug dealer's tonight?" He slammed his keys onto the kitchen counter. "You stay away from those sick fucks." He pointed a quivering finger at me.

I waited for him to leave before daring to breathe. That's when I noticed the letter on the kitchen island. My heart began beating out of my chest. I frowned, slowly reaching for it. I wouldn't open it. Not tonight. I couldn't.

With rattled nerves and stinging eyes I marched up the stairs to my bedroom to find Gar lying on my bed with headphones eating ice cream.

I snatched them out of his ears, slapping him over the head with my wallet.

"OW! The hell did I do? You should be thanking me."

"Thanking you, you're probably happy I got caught."

"Yeah so?" He shrugged, grinning.

"God I hate you." I said, setting the letter down on my dresser, turning back to face him with a wicked smile. "When are you moving out again?"

"That depends..." He said, pulling on the ends of his Donkey Kong boxers and wiggling his feet. "I could move out sooner if..."

"IF WHAT?"

"If you move with me."

He looked up at me after a long uninterrupted silence.

"I know you don't exactly like me."

"That's true."

He glared, continuing, "But I figured if we share an apartment then that solves both of our problems. I get an affordable place to stay, and you..." He blew on his knuckles, dusting them off against his wrinkled shirt grinning "Get one sexy ass roommate."

I folded my arms, straight faced.

"Fine," he laughed. "What I was really gonna say is that you get away from your overbearing stepdad."

Siddling up to him, and grabbing the half gallon container of mint chocolate chip ice cream he'd been eating, I sat down on the edge of the bed as he handed me a spoon.

"Well, there's two problems with that assupmtion." I said, licking a spoonful of ice cream. "One I don't have a job yet."

"That's no problem. I can pay the rent for a few months until you get one. I have a paycheck coming from my job at the video store, and two late paychecks from my previous job."

Gripping his knees, he hoisted his legs onto the bed. "What's number two?"

"I've already been asked to move in with someone."

"Seriously dude?" He wrinkled his nose. "Who?"

I became quiet again, glancing away from him as my cheeks began to redden.

"Are you shitting me. Is it that Penis guy?"

"Dick." I snapped.

"That's what I said, penis, same thing." He snatched the spoon from me, scooping out a hunk of ice cream. "I don't get what you see in that guy. He's just using you for sex."

"Can you just shut up for once? You don't even know him."

I got up to sift through my night clothes.

"I'm going to change, and then I'm going to go to bed, and you're not going to bug me by saying anything else stupid the entire night."

Shrugging, he stuffed in his headphones.

When I came back out of the bathroom, teeth brushed, and changed I found him STILL laying in my bed.

"Get out of my bed or I'll clean the toilet with your toothbrush while your asleep."

Murmering under his breath, he got up, dragging his feet to the closet. I gave a faint and exhausted smile, collapsing on my bed as the door to the closet slammed. My eyes hadn't closed for but five minutes when I heard it open again.

"WHAT!" My bloodshot eyes snapped open.

"Just wanted to tell you to give the roommate thing a second thought."

"GOODNIGHT GAR."

"Remember second thought...

"NIGHT!"

*Things that need to happen:

-Gar has to go to work and to class

-Rachel and Gar have to go touring apartments and discussing the roommate thing

-They have to run into Kori

-Kori has to be made fun of by her sister and her friends

-Rache needs to get another letter from her dad in prision. Gar remarks about her dad's sick letter

-All 3 of them have to end up touring the same apartment.


	10. Chapter 10

CHP 10

Love and Hate

"Where are you going?"

I rolled over, stretching and caught a glimpse of Gar practically tripping over his own feet trying to get into a pair of oversized black shoes, while pulling his white night shirt over his head, exposing a lean muscular back.

"Gotta work today, and then I got class."

"Oh." I said flopping back against my bed, slamming a pillow over my eyes.

"Don't worry," He grinned. "I didn't forget. We're going apartment hunting when I get back and then... you owe me tonight."

I pulled the pillow away from my face revealing two hateful eyes. His grin grew eight times its original size.

"I didn't say yes."

"You didn't say no either."

I chucked a pillow at his head, but he was quickly out the door before it could make contact.

* * *

"Nice try." he laughed.

The hours raced by like an 8 cylinder Ford Mustang. They were filled with mostly anxiety and yesterday's headaches, nevertheless, they went quickly.

I was swamped with a cluster fuck of information with Dick's occasional text, Gar's constant random texts, and that letter from my psychotic father. I was right to avoid it until morning.

It read something along the lines of... _Dear Rachel, Don't forget how I took care of your whoring pig of a mother. I can't wait to see you, we'll have plently of time to catch up, I miss you,_

 _-Dad_

Maybe it'd work out, my staying with Dick, if he was infact crazy he might kill my shit faced homicidal father, but I couldn't be so lucky.

"Rachel!"

My stepdad could be heard screaming over the banging washing machine in the kitchen downstairs.

"What!" I immediately hurried down the stairs as if the house had spontaneously burst into flames.

"Are you just going to sit in your room all day? Weren't you supposed to be going to a job interview or school interview or doing something with yourself besides sitting in my house all day burning up electricity?"

"Yeah, I'm going to that interview I mentioned..." I lied smoothly, turning my back to him as I grabbed a bottle of peach tea from the fridge and exited out the front door.

Behind me the screen slammed shut, as I clomped down the stairs and down the concrete drive way. I was defintely on my way somewhere, but it wasn't a job interview.

"How many tickets Miss?" The tall cashier starred down at his monitor while I was busy watching the two floating heads one line away from me.

"Uh..." I turned, "Just one second." 

That ass hole. My eyes narrrowed into thin slits as I watched the two floating heads getting closer and closer. It was that brown haired girl again. The one I had saw Dick with the other day at the mall. This time she was laughing and twisting her hair and hitting him on the shoulder. Sickening. Seriously fucking sickening.

I turned away from them both, the corners of my lips drooping down a little lower than usual.

"Ma'am, there are others in line can you please just tell me how many tickets you need and what movie your seeing?"

"Oh," I nodded, shaking myself out of a stupor. "It's just one and I'm here for wicked scary three."

He handed me a ticket quickly, glad to get me out of the way, then several more customers bomb rushed him. All with screaming kids, loud, obnoxious screaming kids.

"I'm getting my tubes tied." I growled as a petite young mother spanked her wild tazmania devil who had thought it hilarious to run up behind her and raise her skirt in public. After his initial display, he had taken to other vicarious activities, spitting water on other paying customers while running around the lobby making monkey noises.

I thought about recycling the little monster, good for me and the environment, until I watched him spit water right in the face of Dick's not girlfriend.

With flaming eyes that would scare the devil, that sweet little brunette went off like a rocket. She cursed out Dick and then cursed out the mother of the kid. Fortunately I got front row seats as I waited in the concession line for a small bag of popcorn.

"He's a little kid, get over it, it's not that serious."

"THE HELL! That is disgusting, if he spit on you, you wouldn't be so nice."

"Like I said," Dick replied calmly, "he's just a little kid. Get over it Ashley."

Ashley sneered at him long enough to cause a seen. A few women turned around to gawk and of course, I pretended like I hadn't even seen him, and of course, he pretended like he handn't even seen me either. Taking my small bag of popcorn in one arm and my bottled water in the other I drug my feet toward theater 4. My movie wasn't showing for another 20 minutes, that and then there were fifteen minutes of previews... but at least this would eat up time. If I came back home too early my dad would ask questions and because lying wasn't necessarily something I liked, although I was good at it, he'd find out. It was amazing he hadn't found out about Gar yet.

Funny how as that thought popped into my head, his text lit up my screen.

 _Rache where ru ? Class was canceled, looks like we're going apartment hunting early._

I hit power saver mode on my screen when a large middle aged woman with bifocals and a blantanly obvious wig shot me a dirty look. Clearly she didn't understand there were still twenty minutes before the movie was supposed to start. She looked even more disgruntled when Dick and Ashley took a seat right next to her.

"I can't wait to see this." A near balding guy with a Dr. Who T-shirt said to her. She flared her nostrils turning to her husband.

"Jeff, it is rather crowded in this theater, Jeff!"

"Oh...er um eh,"

Her husband immediately stuffed his phone in his pocket, but she was already miffed. It didn't help matters that Ashley had slid over to Dick's lap and they were making out.

I sat there calmly eating my popcorn, too disturbed to respond to Gar's text, but too stubborn to admit I was aggrivated by the sceen infront of me. So I kicked the seat. I kicked the hell out of it, must have been all that pent up aggression, I thought as a faint smirk slid across my lips when Ashely slid off Dick's lap and colided with Sci fi guy.

She got up and both her and Dick had turned to me.

"I'm so sorry," _I'm not sorry you asshole,_ I gave Dick a stale look and refused to look at Ashley altogether. "I accidentally dropped my phone and I bumped the seat when I went to pick it up."

Dick raised an eyebrow, but the rest of his face was just as bland as mine. Then my phone started buzzing, loud enough to draw the attention of sci-fi guy, wig lady, and the two tools.

"Uhh... I think I better get that." I slid out of the isle leaving a string of angry glares behind.

"What Gar?"

"What do you mean what, you didn't respond to my text?"

"It's only been 8 MINUTES."

"Since when did it ever take anyone 8 minutes to respond to a text?"

"I'm in a movie, stop being irritating."

"Fine, meet you the theater? I'm down the street from the mall anyway."

* * *

I groaned, crossing my arms, "Fine. Hurry up." It was already 10 minutes into the movie when Gar showed up at the enterance in his work unifrom.

"You're making us miss the movie."

"There was traffic." He whined.

"I don't care, I payed for this movie and I don't have much money to spare these days."

He got silent as we took our seats, unfortunately nearly everything was taken, but my orignal seat and and a few seats next to it.

"Wait a second," he whispered to me as the lights began to dim. "If you're broke, where'd you get the money for this movie?"

"Your jeans, you owe me rent." I smirked chewing a piece of popcorn as he pouted next to me.

He snatched a handful of popcorn out of my bag as the previews erupted, _Beaver Red and Scary,_

as if they couldn't have come up with a more obnoxious title for the comedy. A picture of a red head in a bikini popped up on the screen next to the R rating and a few young guys chuckled at the end of the trailer. Five more trailers showed before the intro to Wicked Scary started. By then Ashley and Dick had gone back to kissing, and right infront of Gar's view.

He twisted his face in irritation before tossing a piece of popcorn at the couple. I just sat there quietly smirking when they both turned around.

"Is there a problem?" Dick asked in a stern tone.

"Yeah, dude, you and that chick are blocking the view. Can you guys get a hotel or something?"

"Maybe you should grow a few inches." said Dick.

Gar gave him the bird and got up, grunting as he attempted to squeeze past me, " Sorry Rache, gotta get around you for a second."

At the sound of my name Dick did a sort of double take and then he quickly turned back around tending to Ashley.

Gar's Dickies got caught between my knee and the seat for a second and he struggled to break free.

"You tryin to get a cheap feel or somethin?"

"Just shut up and watch the movie."

"Wadidcha think?"

"I think... I want a refund. Those were the cheapest special effects I have ever seen. The blood looked like ketchup. What about you?"

He pulled his lips back in an exaggerated grimace that fused into a mischevious grin. "I think... that I might need to sleep in your bed tonight, wicked scary might bite off a hunk of my ass in that closet."

"Yeah right, I wouldn't go to bed with you if you were the last guy on earth."

He looked at me sideways, "Who said anything about sharing a bed with you? I was thinkin you could play look out while I sleep." He laughed, stopping to pull up his pants as we walked toward the food court. Then stopped half way in his tracks and did a 180 turn in the other direction.

"What?" I scrunched my nose. "Why did you just turn around like that?"

"Uh, no reason." He scratched the back of his neck, a dead give away to his lie.

"Did you see someone you know or something? Is it Kori?"

"No, no," He shook his head trying to duck down as he slinked away. "Can we just go eat somewhere else?"

"Well I did want a tomato and mozzerala sandwich from Lala's Bakery but... if you insist."

"I insist!" He grabbed my hand, yanking me toward the exit, but a girl's voice screamed Gar at the back of our heads.

"Oh screaming fuck," he snarrled under his breath before turning to face her with a plastic grin.

"Hey babe."

"Babe? Cut the shit Gar, I haven't seen you for weeks. I know you're avoiding me I'm not stupid. And when I finally run into you, I catch you with some other girl."

"Who? Gar twisted his face in bewilderment. To this, the lanky blonde with hip-length pin straight hair folded her boney arms over her boy chest. "OOOOhhh, you mean Rache, she doesn't count as a girl." He snickered ribbing me. "She's my therapy buddy."

"LIKE HELL SHE IS! WHAT KIND OF THERAPY GAR! SEX THEREAPY?"

"Eh he he, good one Terra, ha, sex therapy, ha ha..."

"I'm fuckin pissed right now Gar, you were supposed to have my money, then you disappear for three weeks. I want my money now."

"FYI Terra, I didn't disappear for three weeks I got put in drug rehab. And it wasn't your money it was our money, and it was drug money. I don't do that anymore. I'm trying to get clean, rehab, get it."

"I don't give a flying fuck, I want the money back that I gave you. All $500 dollars."

"I'll give it to you the first check I get, I swear."

She paused for a moment, thinking. "Fine." She turned to walk away, back to a table where a large group of 20 somethings sat eating burger king, but before she did she ran up to Gar and squeezed his butt. Then whispered, "skanky bitch." in my direction before twirking her saggy pancake back to her table.

"Well she's nice..." I deadpanned.

"Yeah." Gar grumbled, resting his head in his palm.

"Why don't you just break up with her?"

"Would love to, would be thrilled to, but you heard her, I owe her money. Let's just put it this way. Terra has friends that are my enemies. I piss her off, I get knocked off. Now, is not the right time to break up with her."

"I get the feeling you've been saying that a while."

He sighed. Can we just get out of here and grab something at that little diner I took you to the other night. We should hurry if we want to see a few apartments before it gets dark."

"Alright," I agreed, shoving my hands into my jean pockets as we walked side by side out the front door. "But just so you know, I still haven't agreed to move in with you."

We finished at the diner by 2pm and still had 3 hours to see the apartments. It was starting to get a little warm in the car so Gar decided to strip. 

"Really, I do not enjoy seeing your boobs."

"Heeey! I don't have man boobs, I'm 100% muscle."

"Yeah, but your nipples are still looking at me and I'm not happy about it."

He rolled his eyes and rolled down the window at the same time as we pulled into the first apartment complex.

"Please, you're no virgin."

I glared at him before stepping out onto the asfault.

"So what do you think?"

I glanced around at the tall palm trees and small fountain infront of the leasing office. The apartments were all stacked neatly into three story units that extended at least two acres back. Each of the units were painted off white with olive green and beige accents.

"It's alright." I shrugged, in toe behind him.

My first impression of the leasing office was good. It seemed spacious and clean and the leasing agent had a smile on her face and tended to us immediately. We asked her all the typical questions, what's the cheapest 2 bedroom floor plan you have? When is the earliest move in date, and what sort of ammenities are available? Etc. She gave reasonable answers to all of our questions and everything was looking good, that is, until she showed us the unit we would be staying in.

Immediately we were hit with the smell of stale air and mold when she opened the door. Gar turned up his nose and asked about the smell, but she just laughed and disregarded it, completely oblivious to our uneasiness until 2 plump roaches tap danced across her feet. The woman went hysterical and nearly fainted. It was at that point Gar told her, "thank, but no thanks," and we left.

"Did you see that woman's face when that roach jumped on her foot?" Gar broke out into a hysterical fit laughing, banging a hand on the steering wheel as he pulled out of the parking lot.

I was completely phased out of the conversation, watching as streams of text from an unknown number began flooding my inbox. I looked up, stuffing the phone into my pocket immediately.

"This place is a definite no." Gar added.

I starred out the window expressionless. "Alright, so where to next?"

Gar raised an eyebrow, "What's with you? Can't take a joke?"

"I can, I just don't feel like laughing right now."

"What's a matter?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Is it the Penis? I mean Dick?" He bit back a grin.

"No."

"Then what?" He took on a more serious tone as we pulled into the next apartment.

"I can't talk about it with you."

"You haven't even tried." He said, shutting the door to his side. "Aren't we supposed to be "therapy buddies", he did air quotes.

"Tell you what, you save it for tonight. I told you I haven't forgotten about our talk. You're not getting out of it, specially since you bailed on me for the D last night."

"Shut up."

He laughed again as we walked into the leasing office and I grummbled under my breath. "I knew your voice of concern wouldn't last. You can't stay serious for more than two seconds. Pain in my ass."

"Is there something I can help you with?" The leasing agent gave us a worried look as if we were about to start a robbery. She was an older woman with platinum strands clipped neatly behind her head and a set of thick rimmed librarian glasses.

"Um, uh, we're just interested in seeing what types of two bedrooms you have available."

"Oh," She smiled. "Actually, we don't have two bedrooms here, just one bedrooms and studios, but our one bedrooms are rather spacious. Would you and your wife like to-

"Woa," Gar put up both hands to stop her. "She is not my wife."

"I see." The woman turned up her nose. "Would you and your... girlfriend like to see-."

"Not my girlfriend either."

"Well then." She snorted, giving me a raised eyebrow. "Would you and your friend like to see what we have available."

"Yeah why no-"

"Actually we're only interested in two bedroom apartments so no." I gave her a snotty half hearted smile before walking out. Gar just shrugged and followed me out leaving the woman with her hands on her hips, staring out the double wide glass doors as we left.

"We could make it work with a one bedroom if they are big like she said. You could have the room and I'd stay in the living room on a pull out couch, no big. I mean she could have at least showed it to us."

"I didn't like her and I don't like this place."

"You wouldn't even have to see her and you didn't even see the apartment."

"I don't care. I'm not in the mood for this apartment hunting thing anymore. I just want to go home."

"Really?" He squinted at me, pausing to lick his dry lips as we got back into the car. "You're ready to go back to your house and deal with your abusive foster dad already?"

"Shut up Gar he's not abusive. I yanked open the car door, getting in and slamming it shut. "You don't even know abusive. He's a saint compared to my real dad."

Gar became silent and his face stone cold. "Alright, fine. I'll take you back home. We can do this some other time I guess."

It got deathly quiet in the car for a few minutes as we drove past several empty fields. I watched the white lines on the highway until I started getting car sick, and when I looked up I saw a car I recognized.

"Is this guy stalking us?" Gar groaned.

"He's waving us down, I think he wants us to pull over."

"You've gotta be kidding,"

Gar jerked the car to the side of the road so that we were situated next to a corn field, luckly there was no traffic when he did it. Dick pulled right infront of us, the opposite direction.

"I just drove Ashley home and I saw you guys and I wanted to catch you before five. This guy I know, he talked to the manager at this apartment complex that's like five miles from here, Sunset boulevard, he said he'd lease the apartment to me for half price, but only if we put a hold on it by five today."

"What do you mean we?" asked Gar.

" I meant Rachel and myself." Dick sneered. "But since you're driving her, I guess you come to."

"Fantastic," Gar threw his hands in the air marching back to the car, "glad I could be your damn chauffeur!"

He sat in the car with his arms crossed over his chest waiting for my conversation to end.

"Alright." I shrugged. "I hope this doesn't take long."

"It won't." Dick said patting me on the shoulder. "thanks." He glanced back over his shoulder with a confident smirk.

Watching him get into his car, I wondered what made him think he could touch me? He was so confident, so sure of himself, cocky bastard. I hated his impassivity. He asked for things he already knew he could have and then simply moved on with mocking indifference.

"Ready to go?" Gar asked, his lips pursed like he's been sucking on a lemon.

"Yes."

Gar switched on the radio to drown out the bitter silence, while I stared out the window counting white lines again, five miles couldn't have seemed any longer.

By the time we got out of the car I felt like I'd need to puke from staring at white lines for so long, but I restrained myself. Straightening back up when Dick pulled in next to us.

All three of us walked into the leasing office in silence, noone wearing a smile. I sat down in a love seat near the window, while Gar sat in a single across from me, and Dick stood with his arms folded over his chest, brooding as usual.

"I'll be right with you." said a man's voice from behind a tall white pillar that blocked the view to his office.

He walked out to greet us five minutes later laughing and smiling as he escoreted a familiar red head to the door. I was dumbstruck and I couldn't resist the urge to sneak a peek at Gar to see if he was too.

The face I was reading was a mixture of uneasiness mingled with aggravation.

"Hello again," Kori smiled at us.

"Hi," I said blandly.

"Hi," Gar echoed me, but with a hint of irritation.

Dick just raised an intrigued eyebrow at her, scratching his stubbly chin.

"Ya'll know eachother?" The leasing agent asked smiling. He was a tall dark skinned man, with a warm and friendly demeanor. He looked about twenty four or so.

"You could say that." Gar grummbled.

"That's cool. hey, we have four bedroom apartments if you guys are interested. It's way cheaper and we're running a special. I have a model available to show if you want to take a look?"

Dick, Gar, Kori and I glanced at eachother with blank expressions before Dick responded.

"Yeah sure, I mean, might as well see what's available. " He gave a faint smile. "What's your name by the way?"

"Oh my bad man, name's Victor, and you?"

"Richard, but I just go by Dick for short. It's easier that way."

"Yeah, and I bet girls like it better too."

Dick smirked, "Man, you have no idea."

They both laughed and then Victor signaled for the rest of him to follow him. "Aren't you that guy I'm supposed to give a special half priced rate to? My uncle called me and said a friend of his had a friend that needed a special discounted price."

"Yeah, that's me."

"That's nice bro, that means you four would get two discounts if ya'll decide to move with eachother."


	11. Chapter 11

**CHP 11: Secrets in the Dark**

Hey guys, I've got another chapter. It takes me a while to get chapters up with this new job and everything :P anyways, I've outlined the rest of the story and I really like it. I spent so much time writing today and I'm even working on some original stuff. Guess I'll see how everything goes. Oh and spoiler, this chapter is kinda especially for the BBRAE lovers 3 much love guys.

 **Disclaimer-** I don't own the Teen Titans

"I'm not doing it!" Gar pouted, sinking deep into one of the purple bean bags we'd bought at Super Mart. "NOT, NOT, NOT." He stared intently at the tv screen while fiddling with the game station controller he hadn't set down since we'd gotten back to my place.

"What about all that 'be positive' nonsense you kept dishing out earlier?" I smirked, pulling up another bean bag, collapsing onto my stomach.

"That was before HE got involved."

I chuckled a little, which was a little unusual for me and I guess Gar was a little surprised as well, I sensed it in the way he kind of twerked his head in my direction for a brief moment.

"What do you have against him? He hasn't done anything to you?"

He sneered, letting out a loud belch after chugging some fizzy water. "He's just annoying. He acts like he's God's gift to the world or somethin'. I don't like the dude."

I found it moderately amusing that he would pass that kind of judgement on anyone. He was an ex meth addict and 5+ years behind the rest of his generation when it came to maturity.

"Get over it puss," I smirked, snatching a pillow from the floor, tossing it at the tattoo on his bare back.

He cocked me a grin. "Anyway, fuck him. We have other things to discuss tonight."

"We do?"

Reaching over, Gar switched off the gamestation while looking me dead in the eyes.

"Tell me everything this time. You promised."

I rolled over onto my back, my gaze floating to the ceiling as my thoughts ran past me. I hated this feeling, like I was a bug trapped in a jar or under a microscope. Eventually I knew I'd have to tell someone the truth, if I didn't, they would pick it out of me; most people, not unlike Gar, stared at me like they knew already.

"I slit my mom's throat." The words stabbed me as they came out. Gar just sat there, squinting at me. I didn't want to hear him speak. "It happened when I was ten." I mumbled, walking away from him, towards the bed, burying myself in the sheets so I wouldn't have to see his face.

"Did she die?"

"Not from that." My tongue thickened in the back of my throat the more I tried to explain. "She was stabbed seven times after by that asshole."

"Your real father?"

"No Santa Claus," I snarled, tears streaming down my face. "I didn't want to, I didn't, I-I-"

"Why the hell did you then? Why would you do that to your own mother?"

"I don't know. I guess I was scared... I was tired of getting hurt and I thought he'd do it again."

"What did he do to you Rache?"

By now Gar had moved to the bed, disregarding my need for personal space completely. He leaned against me, waiting for my response.

But I didn't want to tell him. I'd rather let him think I was a monster than tell anyone.

"Your not gonna tell me?" He looked me square in the eyes. I turned, wanting to be free, but he sat there waiting. We sat there for nearly a half an hour before I felt the words come to me.

"He was raping me and when he wasn't raping me, he would beat me. He always said the only reason I was born was to please him. One night I tried to stand up to him. I yelled so loud my mom came in and saw us naked in bed together. She was going to have his ass arrested so he knocked her over the head with a lamp, knocked her unconscious. That's when he told me..."

The memories came flooding back to me as I pictured his face that night. I felt it all over again. "He said kill the bitch, she's a jealous whore. She hates you because you please me like she can't. Shut her ass up for good, kill her."

"Why would you listen to him?"

I opened my eyes to see Gar's contorted face.

"I didn't idiot. I tried to run, but he caught me. He was rapping me hard until blood started running down my legs. I was in so much pain, I just wanted to die. That's when he shoved a knife in my hand. He gave me two options; either I cut her or he'd cut her while ripping me apart, then he'd kill me.

Gar hung his head.

"You didn't kill her Rache, you were only ten, it was that bastards fault."

"Please don't Gar, don't take up for me. I deserve death and worse. If I hadn't of listened to him, she'd still be here."

He rested a hand against my shoulder, that I couldn't push away, which turned into a hug. My fingers tap danced across the grooves of his spine resting at the small of his back.

"Let's not talk about my psychotic father anymore. "

"Okay, what do you want to talk about? I'm cool with changing the subject."

"There's your tattoo.. and... your parents..."

He let go, scoffing. "Oh, ha." He laughed. "The tattoo is something I did with my friends. You know that name I hate?"

"BB?" I mocked.

"Yeah, that one. They used to call me that." He chuckled, tossing his head back. "One night, the first night I ever used, they took me to this tattoo shop. And got this thing tattooed on my back. It's a Werewolf or some kind of Animal. Anyway, I don't know, it's stupid shit. They started calling me a Beast after I got the tat. They said it was a symbol of the day I stopped being a weak little kid and became a man."

I stared at him blankly, which made him squirm and play with his fingers like usual. I wasn't really sure what to say, I just felt bad for him. He wasn't a bad person, just a misinformed one. Had his 'friends' of not stepped in, his life would have turned out different.

"I'm sorry... Sorry it worked out for you like that."

"Don't be sorry," he laughed. "I was a dumb little kid then, not so much now."

"...And your parents?"

"They died." He shrugged.

I looked at him slightly wide eyed, the way he said it so causally was disturbing.

"I'm sure you knew that was coming."

"Yeah, but the way you just, I don't know, said it nonchalantly like that."

"Like I said, I was a little kid then. Not so much now." This time when he said it his voice took on a bitter edge that I wasn't used to hearing.

"Look, I'm getting tired," he said getting up and undoing his pants.

He yawned, stretching and scratching his leg on his way to the closet. "Guess all this sharing is a little much."

"Hey Gar..."

"Yeah," He turned.

"You might need this."

"Gee, thanks." He laughed as a pillow smacked into the side of his head, " And for a second I thought you were going to let me have the bed."

"Right."

My night sweats started again at two in the morning,like last time.

I heard his voice. It was burning in my ears.

Piercing them.

This time his hands were around my throat and his lips against mine.

Did I have a choice? Would anyone hear me if I screamed.

 _Don't ever tell those fucking lies to anyone ever again, you hear me!_

His finger crushed the tiny bones in my throat.

Now I knew know one would hear me scream.

My breaths came out it small painful gasps as he forced his way in.

" _Stop it. STOP IT. STOOOOOPPPPP!"_

Suddenly, my eyes shot open as long slender fingers pushed a lock of hair out of my face. My fists met flesh.

"OW! Damn Rache, you gotta calm down! It's only me."

"Gar?"

"You were freaking out again..."

I cocked an eyebrow.

"Okay... so you were freaking out again...and it got cold in the closet." He laughed.

I rolled my eyes, but clearly not rejecting the company.

"Your not going to make me get out?"

"Guess you lucked out tonight." I rolled over shutting my eyes.

"But I suggest you get your hand off my butt if you value your vital organs."

"Ha," he chuckled "That was your butt.. I thought that was an extra pillow or something."

"Nice try."

He got quite for five seconds... a world record.

"Dude if I wanted you I'd just do this."

He grabbed me by the shoulder forcing me to face him before pressing his mouth against mine. MY lips curled with satisfaction, as I deepened the kiss.. He lifted my leg, wrapping it around his waist as he pulled himself under me. His pelvic bone pressing into mine.

I smirked deviously, biting his lower lip.

He smiled lazily, working his hands up my night shirt. I reached for his boxers, but he grabbed my hand.

"That's what I'd do, IF I wanted you, but you're already getting enough from DICK as it is."

"Fair enough." I turned away, lips caught in a thin line.

"Rache?"

"What?"

"Night." He said, patting me on the shoulder and heading back for the closet.

"Night Gar..."

Two weeks later, it was obvious that Gar still wasn't budging when it came to the four bedroom place. After living with him for about a month I realized he could be extremely stubborn when he wanted to be.

"Hey, I gotta get to work, text you when I'm off at five alright. I think I've gotta a plan about this apartment situation."

"That's fine..."

"You have a job interview at the mall today right?" He asked, tapping me on the side.

"Yeah at that one store, you know the one with that nosy blonde girl." I yawned, rolling over.

"Dang, you're really desperate." He grinned. "I saw you sneak that application into the trash when you thought I wasn't paying attention."

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind and picked up another one. Anything beats dealing with my foster dad."

"Didn't I say that first?" He laughed.

"Just go to work."

"Yeah fine." He grinned and was out the door, immediately following I pulled out my phone.

 _Hey Vic_.

 _Yo_

 _He'll be off at five. Send him the text._

 _OK_

 _Did you text everyone else already?_

 _Yeah, they're coming._

 _Cool. See you around 6pm_

 _See you._


	12. Chapter 12

**CHP 12: Decisions Decisions**

Another apology for disappearing off the face of the planet. This time I blame all the new projects I've started, a blog and an ebook novel. Anyway, back to fanfic related news. So, I added more details to my outline for this story and I'm completely satisfied with the direction it's going in, but I'm also completely sure it's going to take forever to finish! So many details o.O I'll try to take my time with editing and not get impatient, but don't shoot me if my grammar isn't impeccable. *Crossing fingers, please let there be no plot holes!*

Kurokawa Kazunari: Hmm, I'll have to go back and do more editing later. Thanks for letting me know though and yeah, I think my writing style might have a tad bit of randomness to it. It might be the ADD jk lol.

RandomBlackGuy: The compliments are greatly appreciated.

Detrametal: Thanks again for PMing me and for your interesting and lengthy review. I didn't respond to your last question about And'r and Kori yet, so I'll do so here. And'r is jealous of Kori. I didn't really create much of a back story for that because it didn't seem necessary to the plot, but yeah, basically she's just really jealous of her and enjoys making her life miserable. She acts very similar to the way she did in the Titans animated series only more vicious because of the vibe I'm going for in this story. Also, about your rant on Dick, totally justified. I've been around guys that act like him as well and, yes, it is infuriating. Don't worry though, he does have a lot of good qualities. Even though he's kind of a selfish character in this story he is progressing in positive ways. There are small instances, especially in this chapter that show he does care what happens to Rachel and even that he respects Kori enough to listen to her. These moments are subtle though.

 **-Disclaimer-** I don't own the Teen Titans

"Hi!"

"Hello."

"You must be Rachel. My name is Nicole, I'll be conducting your interview for the day. Please go ahead and take a seat over there." She pointed at a row of white arm chairs near the dressing rooms.

I nodded, going to sit down when I saw Kori and her sister And'r walk in, grazing the racks. _They would shop here._ I inwardly groaned, dawning a straight face.

"Oh look!" I heard Kori squeal, when she spotted me in the corner.

"Hi." I managed to choke out, giving a tight lipped smile.

"I did not know that you worked here?"

And'r gave her sister a haughty sideways glance. "Why do you STILL talk like that? You've been in US longer than I have and you still talk weird." She broke out in a over-the-top fit of laughter.

Kori shrunk back, with a sudden darkness to her face.

"I don't work here. I'm interviewing." I said, ignoring her sister. It was blatantly obvious And'r was trying to get attention with her obnoxious laugh. I couldn't stand when people did that. It reminded me of the girls in grade school that would tease me about my pale skin and laugh as loud as they possibly could in front of boys they liked. I suppose some people never matured.

Nicole came out from behind the dressing rooms holding a clipboard. "Are you ready?" She smiled.

I nodded.

"See you!" Kori waved, perking up again. And'r just smirked.

"Hey, Rachel!" Kori called out. "We are still meeting, correct? Victor sent me a message."

I respond with a silent nod and soft smile before following Nicole into the back room.

* * *

"How early can you start?"

"Uhhh..."

"Like if I ask you to come in a 12 today could you?"

"Uhhh..."

I glanced at Nicole's frightening smile and then back at my phone, back at Nicole, and then back at my phone, back at my phone, then back at Nicole. Her left eye was beginning to twitch ever so slightly.

It was 10 already, was this lady cracked out? She didn't honestly expect me to leave for 2 hours and come back. After thinking about it for all of two seconds, I gave her a blank stare, sighing inwardly.

"Today wouldn't be ideal."

"Oh, okay, what about tomorrow at 10 then?"

"That's fine."

"See you then."

I shook her hand before leaving her office, heading back into the main store. A knot was beginning to form in the pit of my stomach. My first job... I glanced at the plushy pink pillows, the bedazzled alarm clocks, the rainbow sequence dresses, the Jeanie Pants, and the Rompers on display. The stereos were blasting "Like a G6" and "Barbie Girl" simultaneously...fuck my life.

* * *

I walked out to the parking lot sighing. My hands were full of paperwork, tax forms, privacy contracts, background check information, the works. At least I got a job, I thought to myself, glancing back at the mall entrance. For some reason I had this feeling like someone had just taken a monstrous shit on my shoulders.

Thankfully a distraction hit. My ass cheek was buzzing, so I pulled out my phone. Dick, I sneered at the screen. I was looking forward to not dealing with him until six tonight. I rubbed my temples, reading the text. Here goes the emotional roller coaster all over again.

"You rang?" I raised an eyebrow, taking a disinterested bite out of a Snickers bar that I'd picked up from a vending machine on the way out of the interview.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because I need some help..."

I felt his irritation through the phone.

"What now?"

"I have to do some..."

"Some what?"

"Shopping." He hissed. "Vic text me earlier, asking me to get some supplies for operation Gar this evening."

"So, text him back and tell him to do it." My eyebrows knit together as I discovered a burnt peanut in my Snickers.

"I tried that." Dick growled. "He said he has to manage the apartment until 5, so he can't."

"Figures..."

"Are you home? I'll come by and pick you up."

"The mall, but look I gotta go."

"Fine, I'll be there in 20."

I ended the call, looking up at a cluster fuck of people just hanging out in the parking lot a few yards away. I recognized a few faces in the crowd. The main ones being Kori and And'r.

And'r tossed her hair hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes in my direction turning her attention back to the others in the group, but Kori waved looking, if anything, relieved to run into me again. I nodded acknowledging her and was about to walk off in the other direction, but then I heard someone shout "fugly hoe" at the back of my head. There was a chorus of laughter that broke out subsequently when I turned back to face them.

"Oh daang Zack guess that bitch heard you bro!"

"I don't give a fuck, she is an ugly hoe, I wasn't lying. Bitch is as white as a ghost and her eyes are sunken like a crack whore."

"But she got some nice boobs though, you put a bag on her face and get that shit from the back."The one that was talking elbowed Zack then pointed at me and then his crotch and started humping the air and laughing.

I started walking toward them and their laughing got louder. And'r turned to smirk and laugh along with some of the other girls. When she did Kori shrunk back, putting her head down.

"You dooches are blind." Adon snorted, spitting on the ground near my feet. I stood just a yard away from him. He glanced over at Kori with a smug look on his face grabbing his stack. " Ay hoe invite your fine ass friend to the party tonight and I'll do both of you this time."

When he turned back to face me I was three inches from him with my pocket knife at his throat. A wicked grin forming on my lips when his eyes widened. With my thumb I closed the knife slowly, tucking it into my back pocket before kneeing him hard in the balls. He hollered out in anguish and the world around us grew dark. I couldn't see anything, just his face, just him and I was going to tare that fucker apart.

I threw myself on top of him while he clutched his groin in pain, still shouting. Knees nailed to his chest, I landed endless punches. The skin from my left knuckle busted as another punch landed against his nose. A loud crack was heard and blood shot out like a geyser.

"She's going to kill him get her off!" Faint shouts echoed around me.

I couldn't stop. I wouldn't. My nails dug deep into the sides of his head, ripping his hair from his scalp and raising his head from the pavement before slamming it down. I did it again, then again!

"STOPPP! STOP! SOMEONE STOP HER!"

 _You're just like your daddy aren't you Rache? Kill him, shut his ass up for good, kill him!_

From my back pocket I reached for my knife, but a hand was there, clasped around my wrist.

"Don't."

The voice came small and calm, but it was enough. I turned to see Kori there. She had pushed through the crowd, which was petrified in place. My arms fell slack and my head hung low, the world around me was still dark, her light was struggling to make its way through. I felt her hands grip me, pulling me from Adon's bloodied mass.

Just then, a loud honk erupted, braking up the monotony.

"Rachel?" Dick's deep and questioning voice pierced my ears.

I was limp like raw meat dangled over Kori's shoulder. It felt like I was floating on air as she carried me to Dick's car, positioning me upright in the front seat.

"What did I do?" My eyes met Kori's, remorse washing over me in heavy waves.

Kori bit her lip as if stuck in between decisions. "Hold the car for a moment," she told Dick, running back over to the group of wide eyed gawking teens.

Both Dick and I watched in silence as Kori and And'r talked. We were too far away to hear what was being said, but from the look on And'r's face she was livid. Kori merely folded her arms in defiance while a long pause was held between them before Kori broke away, coming back to the car.

"I can explain the situation later if you let me ride with you guys."

Dick nodded, dumbstruck and Kori climbed in the backseat. She was so tall that her head touched the top of the ceiling even when she sat down.

* * *

"I'm a monster." I hung my head.

"You are not a monster." Kori reached from the back seat, patting me on the shoulder. "You just have unhealthy ways of expressing your anger."

"Right." Dick agreed, stone faced. He stared straight ahead, both hands on the wheel as we pulled into the packed Super Mart.

The car jerked to a halt and Kori and Dick sat in silence for a moment, but I jumped out. It was so awkward being the center of attention. I felt too much like the troubled child waiting for punishment. Kori didn't leave me to stew in my own anxiety for long, she was right behind me. Dick, on the other hand, went the opposite direction looking for a cart. He caught up to join us soon after choosing the cleanest cart he could find, unfortunately it was the one that constantly went sideways when you pushed it.

"So what does Vic want us to get for tonight?"

"Not much," Dick gave a one cheeked smirk "Just a little food and a lot of booze.

"And you're buying?" I raised an eyebrow wondering how we were supposed to get away with buying alcohol. I was only 19 and there was no way Kori was older than 20.

"I'm 22," Dick responded as if reading both Kori and I's mind. He casually grabbed a couple kegs of beer and some wine coolers. I took one of the packs of wine coolers out of his hand, turning it over to skim through the ingredients.

"High fructose corn syrup," I grimaced. "You actually drink this stuff?"

He shrugged, calmly pushing the cart through the alcohol isle, which was abnormally long. I folded my arms under my armpits, looking around at all the obnoxious shoppers. Two women in their early twenties twerked past us, catching the eye of a forty year old man. His head followed their butts as they switched to the end of the isle. Dick, on the other hand, hadn't payed much attention. His eyelids drooped as if he was ready for a midday nap.

At the end of the isle was a pregnant woman surrounded by five wild kids. Two were pulling on her legs, one was hanging on the end of the cart, and two were crouched over as if they were getting ready for a race.

Behind her, hoards of people passed, their whole conversations were completely intelligible even though I was more than several feet away.

"Don't these people have anywhere else to be on a Monday afternoon?" I sulked. Crowds were obnoxious and I loathed them.

A young man with his pants hanging down past his boxers waddled between Dick and I. His elbow ribbed me right in the chest, but he kept on walking. Dick's face immediately changed from boredom to a scowl. His lips tightened and he opened his mouth as if he were going to say something when a hand reached up and grabbed the cart.

"This is plenty of alcohol, let us go to a different isle." I turned to see Kori smile.

He nodded, realizing the cart was halfway full with beer kegs, wine coolers, and champagne. "Alright, I picked out all the alcohol, you guys figure out what we're supposed to eat."

Kori and I both nodded, but I planned to let her do most of the food shopping. It was bad enough just standing in Super Mart, the shopping part made it even worse. I folded my arms in irritation, making note of the smell of poopy baby diapers & wet dog food, the heavy scuff marks on the floor, and the rabid shoppers.

"Kori can choose, I don't really care, I'm not picky."

"Okay, I want tacos!" She exclaimed beaming from ear to ear, running off with the cart toward the ethnic foods isle.

Dick and I dragged behind her.

"Excitable, isn't she" Dick smirked.

* * *

I hadn't taken time to ask Kori what she'd said to And'r because of all the other people in Super Mart, but now that we were back in the parking lot my mind was consumed with thoughts of the fight earlier. I was scared, scared Adon would press charges. If he did I was screwed. My record looked bad enough without charges of assault & battery along with attempted man slaughter.

"Kori?" I stopped her, while she was piling groceries in the back seat.

"Hmm? She turned to face me smiling, but then went back to what she was doing.

Dick ignored us both, continuing to put groceries away as quickly as possible. I could tell he was just as irritated about being at Super Mart as I was.

"I was wondering what you said to And'r earlier. You never told us what happened."

"Oh," She said. "I just told her that if Adon pressed charges I would also, then there would be no more parties."

I didn't get it. "But didn't you already press charges?"

"No," she said. "I told the officer to keep it on file, but that I could not remember enough. I didn't want to upset And'r. If I pressed charges she would get in trouble with our parents and then the parties would end."

I dropped the subject after that, the sadness in her voice as she talked about her sister was clearly evident.

"Are you two ready to take this stuff to Vic's" Dick interrupted.

We both gave a nod before hopping back in the car.

* * *

I switched places with Kori on the way to Vic's because I was tired of hearing her say ouch each time we hit a speed bump and her head smacked the ceiling. She seemed appreciative and talked non stop the entire way to the complex, about random things too. It was weird the way she interacted with Dick. Though he was stone faced she persisted to ask him questions, never taking time to realize how self absorbed he was, or that he wasn't taking her questions seriously.

"-And then my mom told me that I should not shave my legs because I would get the tiny bumps and they are not cute on a girl with long legs. I went a whole year without shaving!" Kori laughed. "Do you shave? How often? Do you grow a beard or a mustache?" She reached over to poke his face, but he grabbed her hand.

"Let's discuss that later. I think we should get the groceries into Vic's."

Kori slumped and gave a childish pout, but perked back up within seconds and was immediately helping carry bags into the leasing office.

"Woah, ya'll got a lot." Vic opened the front door as the three of us lugged in bags.

"Well it's not like you gave us a list." Dick snarled.

Vic just shrugged and directed us to a table in the residents kitchen where we could set everything.

"Is this where we'll be?" I asked.

"No," Vic shook his head. "Too public, I have my own apartment on site. I'll just take all this stuff up to my place later."

"Cool..." The room fell silent as all of us looked around at each other before I spoke up. "Vic why are you being so nice about all of this and helping us move?"

"I'm just a cool guy," he shrugged. "And..."

"And what?" My eyelids narrowed into thin slits.

"And I get a huge bonus if you guys sign this lease."

"Figures." I grumbled.

"So what now?" Dick asked.

"You guys are free to hang out here until I'm off." Vic suggested. "I'll be done at 5."

* * *

5 o'clock rolled around, but there was still an hour before operation Gar was set to commence. Kori had done most of the organizing once Vic got us up to his place. His one bedroom had enough room for thirty house guests, so we had no problem finding space to set up. Kori quickly got busy in the kitchen, and she pulled me in with her, setting up a little space at the counter for me to chop lettuce and tomatoes.

I sighed, getting a knife out and slicing while stone faced. She, on the other hand, wore a look of sheer bliss. She grated the cheese and heated a skillet with oil.

"HEEY! Watch it!" Vic shouted, running over to help her as hot grease popped out from the pan and started a mini fire on the stove.

Dick looked over nonchalantly, and gave a faint chuckle as he was putting more items away. He paused a moment when he got to a large bottle of mustard.

"Wait, why did we buy a huge bottle of mustard?"

Kori turned from the stove where Vic was trying to smother the small fire and get new oil to fry the tortillas.

"Um..." She tapped her index fingers together nervously, looking at the ceiling "no reason."

Raising an eyebrow and shaking his head, Dick tossed the mustard in the fridge with the rest of the extra food items. He put the wine coolers in the freezer, the champagne in the fridge, and left the beer on the counter.

"Well," he said plopping down in a recliner and propping his feet up on an ottoman. "My work here is done." He grabbed a remote and flipped on a MMA fight.

"Lazy ass," Vic glared, putting on an apron that had boobs on the front.

"I did the shopping." Dick grumbled.

"Whatever." Both Kori and I chimed in.

After Vic was finished cooking the shells and ground turkey Kori and I started helping him stuff the tacos full of tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese. Then he gave me guacamole duty. I really wished he hadn't because I suck at cooking. With my luck I figured it'd probably come out green.

"AGH!" I exclaimed, looking at the mess sitting in the bowl before me. "It's green!"

Kori snickered, covering her mouth and trying to hide her amusement.

Vic, came over and peaked over my shoulder. "Girl, it's supposed to look like that. That's how guacamole looks."

"Oh." I blushed. "You see I'm not such a good cook. I think I'll leave you two to finish the rest."

"That's fine," Vic said as he finished topping off the spicy rice and re-fried beans with extra cheese. "Did you text Gar yet?"

"No, I'm getting ready to do it now." I casually made my way over to the chair where Dick was sitting, while searching for Gar's number on my phone. He didn't say a word when I sat down in his lap.

"Oh shit."

"What?" Both Kori and Vic said at the same time.

"I just remembered something. Gar's a vegetarian."

"WHAAA?"

I shifted, to Dick's displeasure, peaking over the back of the seat at their disgruntled faces.

"You could have said that before, now what do we feed him?"

"I don't know, just stuff some of the tacos with rice and beans and throw that green shit on top." I shrugged.

I could hear Dick laughing from under me. I sat back down facing him with a grimace "Oopps."

"It's alright," Dick muttered, re-positioning me so that he could get more comfortable. "He'll be too drunk to eat anyway."

* * *

"Did he say he's coming yet?" Both Vic and Kori were seated at the dining room table their heads plastered to the glass after twenty minutes of waiting.

"He better hurry up. I went through a lot of work." Vic complained and Kori shot him a look of fiery indignation.

"Uh, I meant WE went through a lot of work." He chuckled nervously.

In the middle of the conversation someone was knocking on the door.

"Bingo." I deadpanned.

"Hey Gar," I opened the door to greet him. It took all the energy I had just to muster up a fake smile.

"What is all this?" He did a quick scan of the room, eyelids narrowed in suspicion before taking off his shoes and coming in.

"I told you already, Vic just wanted to have us all over for food, just hanging out and everything."

"We made taaacoos." Vic chimed in in a sing-songy voice.

"I'm a vegetarian." He spat out icily. "And why is he here?" Gar pointed at the arm chair where Dick was still reclined, kicking back and drinking a beer.

"Uh." He's Vic's friend. I added quickly, grabbing a glass for some champagne and taking a sip to busy my mouth. I took the rest of the bottle with me and an extra glass over to the table where Kori and Vic were already destroying the tacos. Pulling out a seat for him, I offered him some champagne.

"He's not Dick's friend, they just met!"

"That's true." Dick smirked peaking over the back seat.

"And you can't drink Rache you're 19!" He exclaimed, frowning. "These guys," he pointed around the room at Vic, Kori, and Dick are bad influences.

"Yeah and?" I smirked deviously pressing the bottle of champagne to his chest.

"Good point." He shrugged, snatching the bottle and pouring himself a glass. Then he walked over to the tacos and played Eeny, meeny, _miny_ , _moe_. "So which one of these are vegetarian?"

* * *

 **-THE NEXT DAY-**

"No NO NO!" Gar whined loudly pounding his fists against Vic's dining room table where he woke up drool stains and fork marks imprinted on his cheek. Next to him sat a thick stack of paperwork with one big signature right on the dotted line, Garfield Logan.

"You bastards! You sneaky little bastards!"

"Uh oh," Vic said from the patio where we were all hanging out. "I think he's up."

We looked through the window to see him taring through the apartment, ripping the lease agreement and throwing it in the air like confetti, kicking the couches, and throwing random objects at the window, and giving us the bird with both hands.

"Yeah, he's up," Dick smirked.


	13. Chapter 13 Part 1

I haven't abandoned the story even if you have lol. I have a ton of stuff on my plate so it's taking forever to write. The good news is I have part two done. I just have to type it. This was actually going to be one chapter but it's long and I wanted to post something just because I've been MIA for awhile. Enough talk, here's the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.

 **CHP 13: Moving On Part I**

"Has Gar spoken to you since we tricked him into signing the lease?"

"He doesn't really have a choice. He's still staying in my room."

Stunned, Kori eyed me from behind the monsterous stack of clothes that divided us. Her orb like green eyes hit me with a girlish innocence I'd never really know first hand.

"You have a guy staying in your bedroom?" She asked, contorting her face like a disgusted child who just walked in on two adults kissing. "Do you guys..."

"No."

"Oh, I was just wondering... I didn't think...I mean it's none of my business." She bit her lip nervously, grabbing another shirt from the pile to fold.

She was right. It was none of her business who I fucked or did not fuck. Turning my back to her, I busied myself putting together some cardboard boxes for dishes, but the masking tape was being the biggest of bitches. My stubby nails fiddled with the thin strip until I thought it finally broke loose, fooled me again. A little piece tore off yet again. The more I tore at the stupid thing the more useless little shreds I created. There was no time for this I growled in the back of my mind. I don't have time for this! The tape collapsed by my side; my frusteration had reached ample heights.

My time was rarely my own. IT was spent at work listening to meaningless chatter from, meaningless coworkers, meaningless customers, who desired my meaningless opinion on various shades of pink lipsticks and short short lengths of which I couldn't give a flying fuck. When I did have time, I had to pack in secret, otherwise daddy dearest was bound to ask questions, which would most definitely result in a fight. However meaningless I found my job to be it did serve as means to passify him...at some points. At other points it only served as an excuse to berate my ability to do more with my life than slave away for eight bucks and hour.

"I suggest you apply for college unless you want to be stuck in the shitter at $8 an hour for the rest of your life."

And on and on and on. He complained so much I just stopped listening. And apparently, Gar was fed up too. His only other rant, other than the moving situation, was my foster dad.

"Can't you just tell him to piss off?"

He would ask nearly everyday and my response was put in headphones. I'm not going to bite the hand that's housing us right now so suck it up cry baby.

So that was that. Gar would sulk around my room with headphones in, mocking my dad and even me whenever one of us would speak. How do I know this? I've caught him on several occasions.

A long drawn out sigh shook me out of a stupor, bringing me back to reality. There was still this monstorous mountain of Kori's clothes and then all the dishes and small trinkets she was dead set on bringing, which had to be packed.

Her parents were fine with her moving so long as they had no idea about Gar or even Dick. We'd only told them the half truth about the living situation, which was something along the lines of her needing female support from her "bestie" after the incident. The way she hugged me and called me her bestie at the time almost made me feel like I knew her for more than a few weeks. This whole living with complete strangers was going to be ...weird.

Kori suddenly plopped down next to me beginning to wrap some some china plates with newspaper. She seemed to stay quiet just to satisfy me, but there was an irritating eagerness in her eyes.

"OKAY SPEAK."

She exploded like she'd been holding her breath forever.

"How do you feel about Dick? What about the apartment? Do you think Vic is nice? What about his prosthetic limbs? Do you think they're nice?"

Blah blah blah blah... so clearly there was nothing but shit coming out of her mouth at this point.

"Kori." I put a hand up, stopping her, still looking at the little shreds of masking tape and the moutain of mismatched clothes piled a mile behind us.

"Can you please just pass the newspaper."

* * *

"So Dude."

"So."

"Rache and Kori are helping eachother pack, but why am I helping you?" Gar peared out at Dick from two defiant eyes, crossing his eyes and plopping down on the end of the couch as far as he could sit comfortably away from his rival.

"You want to speed this process up don't you." Dick said, stone faced. He picked up a remote extending his arm like a mindless drone, flicking through channels.

"No not really, you assholes tricked me into signing the lease remember?"

Dick shrugged, not bothering to look away from the tv. "No one made you drink but you and it's not like you can go on living off a girl... Or can you?"

The nerve of this badass wannabe, Gar's blood was bubbling over. He snarrled, barring his teeth, appearing more animal than human. "I'm not living off Rache. I have my own job and car..."

"Just not your own place."

"...Just not my own place."

"My point exactly." Dick fingered through his soft spiked hair. "You're a wanker living off a chick."

"FUCK YOU ASS-WIPE!" Gar hocked a loogie, spitting it right on the carpet near Dick's feet.

With a icy calmness Dick set down the remote, raising to his feet.

"WHAP!" His right fist came so fast Gar hardly had a chance to see it. Swift and sharp right to the gut it came flying, knocking him back into the wall.

 _Okay... so maybe he is a badass... just maybe._ The ache in Gar's rib wouldn't stop throbbing now as Dick walked over towering above him.

With a satisfied and cocky smirk Dick extended a hand, pulling the limp punk to his feet.

"You are such a prick." Gar winced, holding his gut.

"I know."Dick replied, the smirk on his face deepening.

Gar threw his head back trying even harder to bite back the look of pain in his eyes and his gaze instantly landed on something.

"You own Death's Revenge? That's an unreleased game."

"I know."

"How the hell'd you get it?"

"I have my sources."

"What other games you got?" Gar eyed him with peaking interest.

"Ah." Dick gave a nonchalant shrug. "A few."

Gar's mouth started to salivate a tad as he looked at the entertainment center with glazed eyes. "You just became slightly less of a prick."

"Beer?"

Gar gave a surprised look, "How did you know?"

The sound of popping beer cans and blaring game music became the sound of a beautiful...not hatred.

* * *

Kori was still talking when I decided to sneak away. It was just an extended bathroom break, extended all the way to the diner about a block away. I'd be back...maybe.

My stomach wouldn't stop growling. That shit that Kori made this morning wouldn't pass for food even on Mars and I had no choice but to sneak it into the trash when she wasn't looking; so now my guts were growling and I wished they would shut up as I made my escape, quietly easing the back door to her house shut. Now to find my exit. Since her house was a mini mansion climbing the oversized fence was no small feat.

"Ow, ow, ow." I grunted, one leg hoisted half over the fence and the other still dangling inside. My knuckles went white with the pressure of 125lbs of body weight struggling over a 6ft fence. The plop to the ground stung the arches of my feet, but I quickly shook it off, feeling the new energy of my emerging freedom. I could breathe for a minute without someone crowding my thoughts with idle chatter, what a fucking relief.

Okay, now why hasn't Gar or Dick bothered to message I thought, tapping the sides of my android with my nails. No status updates on how the morning was coming along, nothing, what could those two possibly be up to.

* * *

"Dude!" Gar complained you just scored 5000 points in one round .

"I know."

"Dude!" Gar stuck out his fist and gave Dick a quick knuckle bump.

* * *

For a second it felt like a tiny rain cloud had made it's way over my head. "Guys are so stupid." My eyebrows bumped together and my thoughts drifted to my two jerk-off fathers.

Daddy number one was a psychotic murderous lech and daddy number two wasn't that entirely different come to think of it, what luck. I gazed up at the sky noticing that it had taken on a murky tone like dirty dishwater and I was umbrella-less...Maybe... no. The thought of Gar came to mind. I could call him, just to see what he was doing, how far they had gotten on packing, but my thumb paused, hovering over the talk button. Why Gar? Why not Dick? So I began to dial Dick's number instead. Halfway through I stopped. Screw him. This was my moment of peace and it would be gone as soon as I moved in with these three other teenagers.

It would be worth it though, just to escape from my foster Dad's clutches. I grimaced, thumbing through the visual voicemail messages. All my missed calls were from him.

"Ugh, should I? My curiosity got the better of me and I hit play.

"Beep."

"Rache! Get your ass back home ASAP. I found your little boyfriend's boxers in the bathroom this morning. You've been gone for two days. You little whore! What the hell are you thinking!

"Beep, message two Friday 1:30pm."

"Rachel Roth damn you! You better bring your little pale ass back home this instant!"

"Click." I had, had enough.

Nearing my destination, I sulked up to the entrance of the diner forgetting to open the door for a group of chatty elderly women. I hardly notice their hateful stares as my mind was consumed with anger. How could Gar be so absent minded! He's going to blow everything!

I attempted to relax the muscles in my face when the hostess came to seat me, but apparently I wasn't doing a good job. The lady with a toddler riding in a stroller started crying while parked beside me and when his mom noticed how unpleasant I looked she turned the child's stroller completely in the opposite direction.

Damn I thought, that bad; but the waitress who walked up after the hostess payed no mind to my bad mood. She reminded me of Kori, completely oblivious to my unwelcoming presence.

"Can I start you off with some water?"

"No. I already know what I want. I'll take the blueberry waffles and a glass of orange juice."

"Okay dear," She smiled folding up my menu. I watched her float away into the kitchen letting my scowl deepen.

I told Gar not to leave his stuff laying around where my foster dad could find it. If Dad finds out Gar's staying in my room he might go after him. It was no secret he was also violent, but not to the extent of my biological Dad. He had never hit me, but he had punched a hole in the wall once when he found out I had been rejected from the University of California. He usually only got that bad after a few beers, but still, I didn't want to risk it. Gar couldn't get caught up in anymore drama, his record wouldn't be able to handle it.

"You alright honey?" The waitress had come back to the table with a heaping plate of hot food. She had the same pleasant look on her face as before.

"Fantastic."

She set the plate and juice down. "Just ask if you need anything else."

"Will do." I ate in silence, with my head down and eyes glued to the table. I only bothered to look up every so often when one of the old ladies at the neighboring tables would belt out in outrageous gregarious laughter. When one or two of them had saw they caught my attention they would lean over to their friend and start whispering then both hens would burst out in laughter together.

I noticed that beside them of group of teen girls were doing the exact same thing.

Inwardly I rolled my eyes, some people never matured. Childish prunes and future prunes. Fuck them.

Quickly, I occupied my mind with more important matters, like how long it was going to take to move the rest of my stuff. I loathed the very thought. The even bigger problem would be sneaking over to get it. These were the troubles that plagued me, but I let waffles be my distraction.

My next mouthful of blueberry goodness was followed by Vic's call. To answer or tend to the waffles that was the question of the hour...waffles were winning. I took another bite.

"Is everything alright dear?"

Looking up from my plate I could see the beaming waitress hovering over me.

"No, I need whip cream, milk, more blueberries, and can you refill this orange juice too?" That should keep her busy I smirked, watching her slump off to the kitchen defeated.

"Look Vic," I snatched the phone off the table at the next ring. "I am in the middle of something important why are you calling me?"

"Important? How important are blueberry waffles?"

"Well, they're important to me, wait how the-"

"I just passed by the diner and saw you. I'm coming in."

Great. A moment of peace out the window.

Vic joined me at the table and immediately we started catching more stares than I had previously gotten alone.

"That's her boyfriend?" Someone whispered. "He's hot." A few sets of eyes added to the mix and the ones that were there originally weren't budging an ounce. Then Vic rolled up his sleeves flashing his shiny mettalic limbs and the looks of romantic interest turned to disgust, which he greeted with a smile. He threw his head back and let out a chuckle scoffing at the group of onlookers as he turned his attention back to me.

"Why do you show off your prosthetics if you know people are going to react like that?"

"Why not?" It doesn't bother me.

A faint smile came across my lips. The first one all day. "Let's get back on track. Why are you here?"

"Well," He eyed my plate. " I was trying to reach Gar and Dick to find out when you guys would be finished moving. The owner of the complex is complaining about all the boxes sitting on the sidewalk. It looks bad and it's going to attract thieves."

"Oh yeah, sorry, don't know what they're doing. They haven't said anything to me all day."

* * *

"You got anymore beers?" Gar asked.

"Two more." said Dick. "Pass me the controller you drive like a chick."

"Shut up dude." Gar chuckled, popping the cap on his beer.

* * *

"What about Kori?" I asked.

"Haven't heard from her either."

I raised an eyebrow. "I just left there. What could she possibly be doing?"

* * *

"I think I added way too much hot mustard to breakfast this time!" Kori grunted, grimacing as she held her stomach. "I should not have eaten two plates! Uggnnnnh!"

Flush. Flush.

* * *

"Ugh, fine. I'll come help you move the boxes after I'm done here."

The waitress had finally returned from the kitchen and her other customers.

"Here you go dear." I detected a tad bit of venom dripping off the end of that dear. "Anything else?"

"No, thank you."

When she left Vic started undoing the extra set of silverware.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

"Thought I'd help so we finish quicker."

My eyebrows bumped together as I watched my waffles disappear bit by bit."

* * *

It was dark by the time Vic and I finally finished getting the rest of the boxes put away, with no sign of the other three.

"This is so annoying, and we still need to get Gar's stuff out. I can't get anything done all this week my dads going to be home for vacation."

"He doesn't go out of town?"

"He's too cheap. He stays home and watches football."

"Oh. " Vic shrugged. "Then just get his stuff out today."

"It's a lot and it's not like I have a car to move it. We were using Kori's before, but hers is packed right now."

"Don't know what to tell you then little lady," Vic bit his bottom lip. "I've gotta get back to work, and I'll be working all this week." He clapped his hands together dusting them off.

"Well, this is my exit."

I watched him head off with dread filling my stomach. This was going to be an extremely long night.


	14. Chapter 13 Part 2

To the Guest: Thank you, your comment encourages me to keep at it :).

ani: I will make more of an effort to update sooner.

Here is the second half of chapter 13. It probably could have and should have been one chapter, but whatever. Here you go guys enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans

 **CHP 13: Moving On Part II**

No Dad, this was a good sign. Plenty of time to get in, get the stuff and put it-

the sound of nails across a chalkboard went off in my head. Problem, I still don't have a car.

As that thought hit, I could see the shadow of high beams on the garage door as a car pulled into the drive way. If it was Dad I would lay down and die right there. Wait a second, I squinted noticing the lights fade into a midnight blue.

"Gar!" I snarrled, seething with irritation. True it was perfect timing, but why on earth did it take him an entire day to show up.

"Rachel!" He shouted up at my bedroom window were I stood pearing down at him with a scowl. Without a minute of hesitation I sped down the stairs, taking two at a time. I met him at the drivers side and-

"WHAP!" Right across the head.

"OW! THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?"

"You know you were supposed to help me move today. What happened to you and Dick?"

"Uh he he..." He scratched the back of his neck, thinking back to that beautiful high score. "I had some business to take care of."

"And what business would that be GAR!" I barred my teeth, and he winced, shrinking into the seat like a scared puppy. "My foster Dad's gonna kick both of our asses when he finds all of your stuff laying around. You already got me introuble leaving your stupid boxers in the bathroom!"

"Damn." He sighed.

"Yeah, damn is right." My gaze of death didn't leave him for a second.

"Okay, then shut up woman and let's get the rest of the stuff now before he gets here."

"Fine, pull the car around to the alley. And if you call me woman again I'll saw off your testicles."

The car slid out of the drive way and I made a mad dash back the same way I came. My own heart beat was driving me mad; it sounded like footsteps, so every two seconds I whipped my neck around to see if it was my Dad.

I had arrived at my room and sitting before me was seven heaping trash bags I had managed to fill before Gar came, various clothing items, Gar's stereo speakers, and my books, anything that seemed important. There was one area I missed though.

The closet door swung open with the flick of my hand and I grimaced in horror.

I hadn't seen the inside of it since Gar moved in.

"SERIOUSLY!"

Trash everywhere. Empty pizza boxes, potato chip bags, soda bottles; I grabbed fist fulls of hair barring my teeth .

"THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS."

"Hurry up!" Gar's voice echoed from outside the window. I could see his blue car lights from the alley. They hit the grey brick wall so that I could make out the outline of the open trunk.

"Upsey daisy!" I hoisted one of the elephant sized trash bags, balancing it on the window seal.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Gar shouted from below.

"I'm hurrying up. Don't worry it's just your stuff in this one. Catch!"

The bag sailed through the air, giving Gar only a few seconds. He sprung into action, frantically, scrammbling to catch it.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!"

"We're in a hurry you're just going to have to catch faster!"

Down with the next two bags, which flew over the seal quicker, definitely seemed a bit heavier than the other one.

"Plop." One fell into Gar's arms with a painful thud while the other crashed into the trunk.

"That one hurt you little... witch!" Gar snarrled. We both knew good and well what he wanted to call me. So I threw down his comforter and pillows missing the trunk on purpose. They landed in the dirt, but I was aiming for his head. His CD collection would be next if he had another slip of the tongue.

At this point, stuff was beginning to collect in the alley, as he was not able to keep up with my pace, which intensified as soon as I recognized a new car pulling into the driveway.

"Hurry!" my eyes widened like a child caught jay walking in the middle of heavy traffic. Dad was making his way out of the car. Two minutes, he was searching for his keys. Still in the ignition. Idiot.

"Move faster my Dad is coming Gar!"

Instantly Gar turned into kid flash or some other comic book super freak, but there was still no way he'd beat my dad.

"Do something!" Gar shouted.

"What the hell do you want me to do!?"

"Distract him!"

"I'm all the way up here!"

"Well come down here!"

I tried to think quick, but I couldn't. I couldn't focus.

Beep. Beep. The car lights flickered with the locking doors. Horror hit me. Dad was rounding the corner going toward the back alley. He rarely ever went that way.

Why today of all days?

My body moved on it's own, fingers, latching onto the window seal. They turned red from the gripping pressure.

One leg up and over and then the other. Two stories wasn't that bad. I lied to myself trying to convince my brain. My own reservations did nothing to stop my bodies actions. I felt my hips began to sway, rocking the dangling weight of my legs back and forth and back and forth, propelling them toward the sewage pipe two feet away.

"Rache! No don't do it!" Gar belted. "I'm taller than you it's not going to work for you!".

"Shut up Gar I know what I'm doing." I lied.

Harder and harder my legs pumped, but my hands felt slick against the seal. My nails clawed at the metal, but there was no grip. And so, my legs kept swinging like they hadn't got the memo and suddenly, it happened. I was ripped from my world of safety and thrust into the turbulent wind also referred to as life, and what a conspiring BITCH it was.

The trees, street lights, stars, moon, the bedroom window, went by in a blurr as I sailed through the air like one of those bags. There was this feeling that my stomach had suddenly jumped into my throat, which was only broken by the sharp cries of terror that escaped I reached for something, anything to hold onto.

"AaaaaaAAAAhhh!"

I thought it was my own voice I was hearing but just below me Gar was mirroring my screams and flailing arms. For just two seconds we were frozen. Just like that. Two idiot kids runing from trouble and then it all came crashing down.

"BAM! CRUNNNCH!"

"OH MY FUCK HOW MUCH DO YOU WEIGH!" Gar cursed.

I barred my teeth at him, but honestly I was just glad to have landed on something soft... kind of soft.

"WHAP!"

"OW! What the hell was that for! You landed on it and now it's in shock."

"Whatever." I got up, dusting my butt off, suddenly remembering, but it was much too late.

My eyes, my Dad's eyes, and Gar's eyes all met at the exact same time, but were all saying very different things. Nothing Dad's eyes said was G rated that's for sure.

Like flash Gar was off again, but clearly his brain and body weren't attached. Actually, at this point, I wasn't really sure if he ever had a brain to begin with.

"Fuuggggghhhhhhhh!" Gar squealed, scrambling up the sewer pipe like a little rat. Why didn't he just get in the car instead. STUPID. I tossed the rest of the belongings into the trunk while the distraction was still at work.

"Your little boyfriend was living here! He was staying in this house! I'm going to destroy you!" He grabbed at the air, reaching for Gar's legs, but Gar had managed to hoist them too far up to be yanked down by my midgety foster Dad.

"RACHE!" Gar screamed.

"RACHE? RACHE! Rache isn't going to save you. As soon as I catch you I'm going to kiss your ass, then I'm going to kick hers too!"

I threw the rest of the stuff in the trunk and gunned the engine.

"Jump you moron!" I shouted.

"You're the moron what do I look like James Bond?"

My foster Dad was still standing just below the sewage pipe brandishing his fists totally oblivious to the car right next to him.

"I'm gettimg my gun!" He shouted

"OKAY, OKAY, I'M A MORON!" Gar shouted.

I gulpped shutting my eyes imagining Gar doing the same as he took the plunge. PLOP, he landed with a smack on the rooftop.

Out of the moon roof I could see his body sprawled out like a spider hanging on for dear life.

And we were off.

"Slow the fuck down I can't hold on with you driving my car like a mad woman!"

"Well your going to have to fall off then because I'm not slowing down. Dad was a college track star and he has a gun."

I caught a glimpse of Dad in the rearview. He was gaining remarkable ground, firing bullets randomly at the car.

"MY PAINT JOB!"

"YOU IDIOT IT COULD HAVE BEEN YOUR HEAD!".

Like a ninja Gar slid in through the window. "I think he's finally tired." He said glancing up at the rearview to see a panting old man slump away like a defeated dog.

Gar wanted a simple knuckle bump, but I wanted to know the future. Would this actually turn out the way I wanted it to? Could I really escape my problems just by moving in with other misfits or would we all just be eachother's problems. I looked at Gar again and the dirty fist he was offering.

Instead of a knuckle bump I did something unexpected. I held on.

Gar's pensive gaze never left my face when I intertiwined my fingers with his, driving further into the I was just looking for something to hold onto. But maybe the answer was letting go because I didn't feel affection for him or anyone rather. I had played the role of a civil human being at times and maybe Gar thought I was okay, that we were friends, but I knew the truth.

I was a monster and monsters only knew two emotions anger and hate.

I hated Gar. I hated that my foster Dad made me go to group counseling and that he thought I was defective and I hated that I was forced to share part of myself with someone I had no intetion of knowing. Someone I would had never talked to if given the choice. He was a whiney green haired little punk who probably wacked off several times a night. How had fate somehow become so twisted that I ended up here hand in hand with someone I hated. Yes, I hated him.

He took over my room and my space and now he was about to share the darkness that I had kept to myself.

What did he want from me? Why was his plan to invade my space?

His hand reached for the wheel and the brake bringing us to a sudden halt in front of an abandon house in a bad neighborhood. The hand that held mine slid free resting against my cheak instead, holding my head in place while thin dry lips crawled over mine.

Was this the way it was supposed to be? I broke away after a five second kiss, hands still gripping the wheel and face forward like I was never touched.

There was too much to focus on right now.


End file.
